£28m project set to breathe new life into brownfield site

Construction has begun on a £28m regeneration project in Wolverhampton, where a long-vacant brownfield site is being transformed into a 15-acre employment hub.

Developer and property investor Goold Estates has appointed Caddick Construction as the main contractor for the scheme, which will deliver 166,500 sq ft of logistics and industrial space at Foundry Business Park, located off Brook Street in Bilston.

The development represents the final phase of the wider Bilston Urban Village masterplan, which once completed has the potential to support up to 330 new jobs.

The site, formerly owned by the City of Wolverhampton Council, was acquired by Goold Estates as the council’s selected delivery partner for the employment land.

Backed by £12.5m of funding from the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA), the scheme forms part of a wider initiative to repurpose underused brownfield land for job creation, housing, and commercial growth across the region.

The business park will feature 15 industrial and distribution units, ranging in size from 2,513 sq ft to 63,466 sq ft, suitable for a variety of occupiers.

Sustainability will be central to the design, with all units targeting BREEAM Excellent and EPC A ratings. Features will include photovoltaic panels, LED lighting, and electric vehicle charging infrastructure.

Dominic Goold, managing director of Goold Estates, said: “This brownfield site has a complex industrial legacy, including coal mining and steel making, which meant it remained vacant for over 20 years. Progressing the site’s development required extensive consultation, so reaching the construction phase is a significant step forward. Foundry Business Park has the potential to create hundreds of jobs, support growing businesses, and attract new investment to the region.”

The site is a key part of the council’s economic development strategy for Bilston, where hundreds of new affordable homes have already been delivered under the Bilston Urban Village initiative.

Richard Parker, mayor of the West Midlands and Chair of the WMCA, said: “Regenerating derelict urban land for new homes and jobs is a key part of my Growth Plan, which will help reignite our regional economy and drive a new era of prosperity. Foundry Park will create more than 300 jobs for local people and provide modern, high-quality workspaces that will help local businesses to grow and thrive. This is exactly the sort of investment that drives economic growth and changes lives for the better.”