I love Wolverhampton. This is a great city, but it has been left behind for too many decades. I want everyone to benefit from my plan to level up opportunities and unleash our fantastic city’s potential. We are improving public services, developing better infrastructure, and backing local businesses. We are also delivering better employment and training opportunities for people of all ages, supporting disabled people, and helping people have a good retirement.
Levelling up in Wolverhampton
- In Parliament, I called on the Prime Minister Boris Johnson to make a firm recommitment to reach into some of the most deprived areas and level up the country. The Prime Minister not only accepted my request, but 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.
- The Government has also accepted my request to set up a dual headquarters for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and hold part of the Commonwealth Games in our great city.
Regenerating our Economy
- I serve as a member of the Towns Fund Board, a consortium of elected leaders, local businesses, and key partners which identified priorities for our city and proposed projects to deliver on them. We secured £25 million to fund these projects, with an extra £1 million secured a year before and £15 from the Future High Streets Fund. This will help revitalise local commercial areas and support transformative projects such as the City Learning Quarter, National Brownfield Institute, Wolves at Work, and Grand Theatre expansion. You can find further details about investment we've secured here.
- The Government has announced a £4.8 billion Levelling Up Fund to enhance infrastructure and connectivity, a £220 million Community Renewal Fund to help people across the UK benefit from new support for local communities, skills and jobs, and a new £150 million Community Ownership Fund to ensure that communities across then whole of the UK can buy local assets such as pubs, sports clubs, and theatres.
Shopping Locally:
- Our small businesses need our support more than ever. If every working adult in Wolverhampton spent £5 a week extra with local businesses, it would boost the local economy by £780,000 a week. I want to encourage everyone to #shoplocal. Positive reviews and word of mouth help too, so please share what your favourite local shops are with others.
- We are benefiting from targeted, hands-on support from the Government’s High Streets Task Force and £234,488 from the Welcome Back Fund to welcome shoppers, diners, and tourists back safely.
- I am keeping my business support page up-to-date with the latest information. Please contact me if you require any assistance.
