Black Country Chamber slams AWM over funding cuts
A Black Country business leader has accused the regional development agency of viewing the area as a “backward sub-region” after funding for flagship creative industries and digital skills projects was pulled.
Several schemes in the region have been victims of funding cuts by Advantage West Midlands including the extension of the Creative Industries Centre at Wolverhampton Science Park and the i-Central project to increase digital skills in the area.
The schemes were among a list of 65 regeneration projects denied funding by the regional development agency as part of its by £132 million cost-cutting drive.
President of the Black Country Chamber of Commerce Peter Mathews said: “The Black Country appears to be seen as the backward sub-region in the West Midlands.
“The development of Wolverhampton Science Park has been incredibly successful for the city and the addition of the Creative Industries building has provided the city with a flagship centre for start-ups and incubators, many of whom have gone on to grow successful businesses while keeping talent in our region.
“The Chamber continues to campaign for inward investment.
“Engineering and manufacturing is essentially a creative skill and it is vital to offer opportunities to nurture entrepreneurialism and increase the skills of the workforce in this region, to provide us with a trained, skilled workforce for now and the future.”
The development of Phase 4 of the Science Park involved building a bridge to link up with the existing Creative Industries Centre, a £7 million development opened in 2001, and increasing accommodation space available.
But without the £8 milllion funding required for the next step, bosses at the Science Park fear there could be an exodus of talented creative entrepreneurs out of Wolverhampton.
Martin Bucknell, Director of Wolverhampton Science Park, said he was disappointed with AWM’s decision.
“We have felt for a time that Phase 4 wasn’t high on AWM’s agenda. Phase 4 would have broadened the offer to the creative industries by doubling incubation space for new businesses. There is great demand for incubation space here, particularly with IT and digital companies.
