The Portersfield development, Midland Metro extension and the Business and Innovation Enterprise Zone DY5 were among the projects profiled by Dudley Council in a bid to further boost the borough’s regeneration.

In March, Dudley Council joined the Midlands UK partnership at MIPIM. As part of the 100-strong delegation from the region, representatives from Dudley maximised the opportunity to showcase more than £1 billion of investment to potential investors and developers.

Projects profiled during the event included the £81 million Portersfield development – part of a phased programme of development comprising new retail, leisure, commercial and housing uses within Dudley town centre – and the £31 million Institute of Technology, which will provide a teaching and research environment for higher level skills in advanced manufacturing, modern construction methodologies and medical engineering.

Central to Dudley’s investment proposition is the £449 million Midland Metro extension, which will link Dudley with Birmingham, Wolverhampton and the national rail network. It is projected to trigger 2,000 new homes a year, almost one million square feet of prime commercial space and 34,000 permanent jobs. It will also improve connectivity to DY5, Dudley’s business and innovation enterprise zone at The Waterfront in Brierley Hill, as well as linking in with the planned multi-million-pound transport interchange in Dudley town centre.

Dudley’s representatives at MIPIM pointed to the success of DY5 as an example of ongoing investment in the borough. Covering 70 hectares, DY5 offers opportunities for investors, developers and occupiers to rejuvenate the Waterfront office complex at Merry Hill and create additional office, technology and industrial space in the surrounding areas of Brierley Hill, Harts Hill and Pensnett.  Since its launch in 2017, more than 600 new jobs have been created, five hectares of land developed and nearly 6,000sqm of existing floor space refurbished. DY5 aims to create up to 110,000sqm of new office space, 36,000sqm of new technology space and 65,000sqm of new industrial space over a 25 year programme of investment.

The highlight of Dudley’s MIPIM programme was the opportunity to profile the regeneration and investment opportunities in the borough to an influential, international audience, calling on them to invest in Dudley with the confidence that ‘It’s time – we’re ready.’