Wolverhampton campus works set up new skills hub

Site clearance has begun at part of Wolverhampton’s Springfield Campus, moving the next phase of the Green Innovation Corridor into practical construction preparation.

The works are taking place within the historic former Mitchells and Butlers Brewery site, where a vacant heritage building is being readied for redevelopment as a state-of-the-art engineering technology hub. The project is part of a wider regeneration programme led jointly by the University of Wolverhampton and City of Wolverhampton Council.

Clearance work at Springfield Campus

Early design work has been completed, along with internal strip-out activity and the safe removal of asbestos from the building. Contractors have also cleared a later single-storey extension, opening the way for the older structure to be adapted for future teaching, research and industry use.

Structural and enabling works are expected to start shortly. These will include the installation of new foundations before the main construction phase moves forward.

Green Innovation Corridor plans

The Green Innovation Corridor links Springfield Campus with the university’s Science Park and the i54 advanced manufacturing business park. The corridor is intended to support green construction, engineering, digital technologies and research collaboration across Wolverhampton and the wider West Midlands.

The programme is backed by £27 million in capital funding from the UK Government and the West Midlands Combined Authority. It also has West Midlands Investment Zone status, which is intended to help attract further investment linked to green industries and job creation.

Springfield Campus is being positioned as a central hub within the corridor, with space for teaching, innovation, business incubation, small and medium-sized firms, and larger commercial uses.

Jobs, training and business space

University of Wolverhampton Chief Operating Officer Dr Pete Cross said the preparation work would support future teaching, research and innovation tied to skills, industry collaboration and net zero ambitions.

Councillor Stephen Simkins, Leader of City of Wolverhampton Council, said the conversion of the vacant heritage building into a new teaching facility would add to the campus’s role as a technology hub for the Black Country and West Midlands.

The council says the Green Innovation Corridor is expected to help create and safeguard jobs for local people, while supporting training routes connected to sustainable construction, engineering and the circular economy.

Construction timetable

The immediate next step is the start of structural and enabling works on the Springfield Campus building. Construction is expected to complete by the end of 2026, with the wider Green Innovation Corridor being delivered in phases.

Source: City of Wolverhampton Council