Stuart Anderson MP has praised the Government’s ongoing commitment to the City of Wolverhampton, with total funding since 2019 via the Government now standing at over £1 billion. It comes as Stuart publishes his annual report, which sets out the work he has been doing as Member of Parliament. Since January, Stuart has responded to over 16,000 unique enquiries and resolved 7,000 cases. He has asked over 400 written or oral questions in Parliament, attending almost 90% of votes.
Since 2019, £1.030 billion has also been secured for the city in funding allocated by the Government. It is expected to have spurred much more in private investment. During the pandemic, the City of Wolverhampton Council received around £50 million emergency funding which helped it fulfil a critical role in response to COVID-19. £45 million in business grants to small and medium businesses and around £25 million in self-employment grants have also been delivered to secure livelihoods during the outbreak. £8 million has also been delivered to help the council assist vulnerable households. In addition, the city has benefitted from £2.5 million via the Culture Recovery Fund, benefitting local venues such as Wolverhampton’s very own Grand Theatre.
In September, the dual headquarters for the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities opened at the City’s i9 building as part of the Government’s Places for Growth programme, which aims to move 22,000 civil service roles outside London by 2030, bringing policymakers closer to the communities that they serve. The City is also preparing to host the Time Cycling Trial at West Park as part of the Commonwealth Games following a request made by Stuart. In the last year, the City has also benefitted from £15 million from the Future High Streets Fund and £20 million from the Levelling Up Fund for the City Learning Quarter which, over a ten-year period, would help up to 45,000 learners.
Stuart Anderson MP said: “I am delighted that our city has secured more than £1 billion in funding for a range of areas since 2019, including £15 million to regenerate local commercial areas and £20 million to build a new learning quarter. Levelling up means ensuring people’s opportunities are not constrained by where they live, and I know that this funding will help transform our city’s prospect as we build back better. I will continue working with our key partners to campaign for even more.”
Stuart added: “This has been another incredibly busy year. My team and I have responded to thousands of unique enquiries from constituents on a range of issues. I remain heavily focused on the local response to COVID-19 and on securing our city’s recovery from the pandemic. Notable achievements include securing £25 million through the Towns Fund for important local infrastructure projects and creating a dual headquarters for the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities in the city following a request that I had made.”
A breakdown of funding received is being regularly updated at www.stuartanderson.org.uk/investment-and-fundraising-tracker.