Wolverhampton city campus construction begins in £61m initiative

Construction is underway for a city centre campus, marking a pivotal element of Wolverhampton’s City Learning Quarter masterplan.

This £61m initiative is spearheaded by the City of Wolverhampton Council and backed by government support.

This development hopes to enhance skill development and employment prospects for residents within the city and throughout the broader region.

This phase of the development is being executed by McLaughlin & Harvey, with completion scheduled for the start of the 2025/26 academic year.

Initial groundwork including utility adjustments, site welfare construction, and hoarding installation has now been carried out.

Ongoing efforts include demolition, site preparation, and the commencement of piling activities to lay the groundwork for the new structure.

The refurbishment plans for the central library will also be revealed soon.

Additionally, there has been progress in the first phase of the master plan, with the construction of an £8.1m advanced technology and automotive centre at the Wellington Road campus of the college.

This phase, facilitated by contractor Speller Metcalfe and funded by the West Midlands Combined Authority and the former Black Country LEP, is on track for completion by July 2024.

Council Leader, Councillor Stephen Simkins, said: “It is a very proud moment to see our City Learning Quarter city centre vision becoming a reality. It will have a visible and tangible impact on the City of Wolverhampton and its residents, making a massive difference in everyday life through direct investment in skills and education – it has the potential to unlock future
opportunities for all in the city.

“We are working hard with the City of Wolverhampton College to ensure we not only deliver a vibrant education hub where we improve the city’s learning, apprenticeship and employment offers but also that we retain our best talent, rather than losing people to different parts of the region. The new facilities will provide a vital facelift to our city centre and will be an
inspirational environment for people to learn in, also offering excellent connectivity to rail, bus, tram and cycle routes. We will be creating an environment where everyone can flourish and it demonstrates the commitment this city has to investing in its citizens.”

Mal Cowgill, principal and CEO at the City of Wolverhampton College, said: “The latest milestone in the construction of the City Learning Quarter is great news for the city, great news for the college and great news for the thousands of students and apprentices who will benefit from its first-class training facilities in the years to come.

“The city centre campus, along with the Advanced Technology and Automotive Centre at the Wellington Road campus in Bilston, will play a major part in driving up skills levels across the region and further position the college as a leading education provider in the West Midlands.”