{"id":11375,"date":"2026-07-31T12:40:10","date_gmt":"2026-07-31T11:40:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gpsj.co.uk\/?p=11375"},"modified":"2026-07-31T12:40:11","modified_gmt":"2026-07-31T11:40:11","slug":"how-staffordshire-and-wolverhampton-are-creating-the-uks-next-green-growth-zone","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gpsj.co.uk\/?p=11375","title":{"rendered":"How Staffordshire and Wolverhampton are creating the UK’s next green growth zone"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
The impact of international events continues to be felt on local, national, and global economies, and residents and businesses need to be supported through challenging times.<\/p>\n\n\n
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To ensure that a more resilient, more dynamic and more productive economy is delivered, local authorities and Government must put foundations for future growth in place through cross boundary collaboration, strategic investment and long-term planning. A use case for this approach is The Central Edge, a new, green, economic growth zone in Wolverhampton and South Staffordshire, bringing together green innovation, advanced manufacturing and sustainable logistics to create a nationally significant destination for investment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For over a decade, the City of Wolverhampton Council, Staffordshire County Council and South Staffordshire Council have worked together to attract private and public sector investment and improve skills and innovation across the Midlands. This collaboration has delivered i54, one of the UK\u2019s most successful enterprise zones. The councils will build on this success through The Central Edge which will further boost growth, innovation and employment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This next phase of collaboration will unlock investment, create high value jobs, and provide other local authorities with a blueprint for utilising existing infrastructure and developing strong partnerships and policies to attract and support well established global brands and create the conditions for long term, sustainable growth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Growth generating more growth<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
The new economic growth zone will benefit from an existing business ecosystem anchored by the i54, a hub for advanced manufacturing, with 3,700 jobs already on site and brands such as JLR, and aerospace companies already capitalising on its strategic location and existing infrastructure. The partners have undertaken extensive research and in-depth analysis to understand economic markets, sectors and trends and create a new, sustainable economic environment to serve the region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Building on a shared ambition to create high value jobs, remove barriers to development, provide investor confidence, and boost business-friendly, public-private partnerships, the local authorities have pledged to provide practical support to develop The Central Edge. The green, economic growth zone runs from the city centre of Wolverhampton into rural South Staffordshire and sits at the centre of the national logistics network, benefiting from strong highway connectivity, plus links to the West Coast Mainline and HS2. The site includes 16.4million sq ft of prime innovation development land, the opportunity for a combined \u00a3582 million in Gross Value Added (GVA) and will lead to the creation of 14,700 jobs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Central Edge area also consists of Wolverhampton\u2019s Green Innovation Corridor (GIC) and significant sustainable logistics and advanced manufacturing locations in South Staffordshire, creating a unique business ecosystem focused on advanced manufacturing and green\/sustainable technologies. This offers emerging sectors and startups ready-made incubation space for innovation and R&D.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The unique business ecosystem will offer complementary growth and collaboration opportunities, bringing together \u2018start-up space\u2019 opportunities in Wolverhampton with larger sites and manufacturing space in Staffordshire. There are more than a quarter of a million businesses located within a 45-minute drive of the county making it one of the UK\u2019s critical supply-chain locations. By leveraging major infrastructure projects, such as the \u00a31 billion West Midlands Interchange, M54\/M6 link road, Indurent\u2019s site at junction 13 of the M6 and Logic 54, the councils are creating a foundation for attracting more businesses and investment as part of The Central Edge growth zone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Inward Investment<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
So, how will this influx of business and investment benefit local communities? Through attracting and supporting well established global brands, the councils aim to generate GVA growth and workforce benefits that extend across the Midlands. Bringing together distinctive green innovation and advanced manufacturing will create a wide range of employment opportunities, from entry-level positions to highly skilled roles, while also offering opportunities for people to learn, develop transferable skills, foster entrepreneurship, and build long-term career ambitions. It\u2019s vital that increased investment leads to more aspirations for local people, and the councils will encourage collaboration between business and education institutions, such as universities in Wolverhampton and Staffordshire, to upskill young people and install them with the confidence they need to successfully enter the workforce. Seamless development As well as providing benefits to the local community, The Central Edge team also wants to support organisations and ensure business growth and innovation is encouraged through effective policies, strong partnerships, and by ensuring the seamless development of knowledge and research hubs. To create conditions for long-term growth, a number of regional and national challenges must first be addressed. For example, transport infrastructure needs to be improved to ensure people with the right skills can access the jobs and businesses of the future. Achieving this will require a shared commitment across government, industry, and local partners. Policymakers must create conditions for growth by enabling investment, supporting high-impact initiatives, strengthening partnerships, and ensuring projects are delivered at pace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Councils have a strong track record of bringing sites forward in a timely manner and minimising any delays through the planning process. The partnership is committed to working with developers and potential occupiers to ensure high quality developments and the team provide practical support between planning authorities, ensuring a consistent approach that jointly addresses development challenges. This is made easier for example as all of the South Staffordshire sites are, or will be, allocated in the Local Plan and have either Outline or Reserved Matters approvals in place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Businesses need confidence that the fundamental conditions for investment are either already in place or being actively delivered. This includes mitigating key risks and creating a development-friendly, pro-<\/p>\n\n\n\n
business environment that provides the certainty needed to support long-term investment and maximise returns. It is only through having the fundamentals in place that seamless developments can be developed and deployed. Embarking on a new chapter of growth The Central Edge provides a unique opportunity to demonstrate how collaboration can unlock sustainable economic growth at scale. While there are still challenges to be overcome, the partnership is committed to building on its shared success and continuing to turn ambition into delivery. The next steps for the three local authorities include supporting innovation, people, skills, and encouraging private sector commitments. This blueprint for sustainable growth can be replicated across the UK, creating high-value jobs, attracting investment, and demonstrating how partnerships can unlock long-term economic prosperity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
By continuing to work collaboratively with the local communities, government and industry, Staffordshire and Wolverhampton are creating a stronger regional economy, and we welcome opportunities to work with partners who share our ambition to drive inclusive, long-term growth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Chris Kirkland is Head of Business Partnerships and Investment at City of Wolverhampton Council, Grant Mitchell is Programme Director for the Central Edge and Charlotte Cain is Staffordshire Investment Agency Manager at Staffordshire County Council<\/em>.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
The impact of international events continues to be felt on local, national, and global economies, and residents and businesses need to be supported through challenging times.<\/p>\n
To ensure that a more resilient, more dynamic and more productive economy is delivered, local authorities and Government must put foundations for future growth in place <\/p>\n
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