I love Wolverhampton, this is a great city. I fully recognise that Covid-19 will have adversely impacted many businesses in our community. I have been working with them and the Government to ensure that they are supported, and I will continue to do so.
Shopping Locally:
As residents of this great city, we need to help our businesses and independent local shops and make them feel loved. Now that it is safe to do so, I hope that many will get out to support our local tourism and hospitality businesses which are re-opening, and which are so vital to our local economy and jobs. Safety is of paramount importance and it is vital that social distancing rules and safety guidance are adhered to, and local people as well as our guests feel safe and I will continue to stress that. Don't forget that, throughout the month of August, you will be able to get a 50% discount on meals up to £10 at participating restaurants as part of the Government's 'Eat Out to Help Out' scheme. You can find out which establishments are taking part here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/get-a-discount-with-the-eat-out-to-help-out…
Regenerating our Economy
As a local MP, I sit on the Towns Fund Board with other key partners from our local community. I am pleased that the Government has allocated Wolverhampton £1 million in capital funding to accelerate plans to regenerate our local economy, and that a bid for almost £50 million has been submitted. If approved, the funding will see £10 million spent to back the City Learning Quarter in the heart of the city; a total of £2.6 million will be ploughed into the National Brownfield Institute, with another £1 million being used by jobs scheme Wolves at Work; and a further £5 million will be earmarked to transform brownfield land as part of the Brewers Yard housing scheme, with £5 million for the Horseley Fields development. Other projects include a £3 million boost to the arts sector – including the Grand Theatre's expansion.
Levelling up in Wolverhampton
In Parliament, I directly asked the Prime Minister Boris Johnson whether he will make a firm recommitment to reach into some of the most deprived areas and level up the country. I am pleased that the Prime Minister accepted my request and confirmed that Wolverhampton will benefit from around £217 million of the growth deal funding across the Black Country, This aims to create 5,000 jobs and 1,400 new homes.
