£100m regeneration project showcased at the House of Lords
The £100m redevelopment of the former Springfield brewery site in Wolverhampton was celebrated at a reception at the House of Lords last night.
The regeneration project is creating one of Europe’s largest specialist construction and built environment campuses.
The West Midlands Construction University Technical College (UTC), for 14-19 year-olds, opened last November and ground has been broken on the Elite Centre for Manufacturing Skills. A School of Architecture and Built Environment will also go on the site during phase one of the development.
The campus will provide a skills pathway for construction education and training from the age of 14 through to senior professionals.
The event was hosted by the University of Wolverhampton’s Chancellor Lord Paul, founder of the Caparo Group. It brought together more than 100 people from across the Black Country, including former Springfield workers and current UTC students, and from the construction industry.
Prof Nazira Karodia, dean of the faculty of science and engineering at the University of Wolverhampton, said: “We are very excited to be sharing our vision and ambitions for Springfield.
“This is an extraordinary opportunity to create real change.”
The Springfield site has been derelict since Mitchells & Butlers closed the brewery in 1991 after nearly 120 years there. At its peack 900 people worked on the site, producing 1,500 barrels of beer a week.
Chris Blythe, chief executive of the Chartered Institute of Building, who studied at the University – then Wolverhampton Polytechnic – added: “The Springfield development is an opportunity to seamlessly transition from the past to the present.”
The University of Wolverhampton showcased its Springfield campus at the House of Lords
