Demolition of old light industrial units at the Hickman Avenue site has been completed. McPhillips has been appointed as the development contractor for the scheme, with council services expected to move in from the end of 2027. The new facility is designed to accommodate the council’s fleet services, which are due to relocate from their current Culwell Street depot in the city centre. This move will pave the way for hundreds of new homes as part of the Brewers Yard regeneration masterplan.
The Hickman Avenue site will also become home to the council’s taxi licensing operation, relocating from its base at the former Loxdale Primary School, which is earmarked for housing development. The travel unit will also be included in the new development, consolidating council fleet operations in one location for greater efficiencies. The relocation and redevelopment works are expected to create hundreds of construction jobs at the sites of the Culwell Street depot and former Loxdale Primary School.
This project will enable the reduction of the council’s carbon footprint and support its programme to deliver a fleet of electric vehicles. Renewable energy technologies will be used to power the electric fleet and reduce operational costs. Councillor Qaiser Azeem, City of Wolverhampton Council Cabinet Member for Resident Services, stated that the new purpose-built depot will provide a more suitable base for essential council services and ensure their sustainability through consolidation and optimisation of operations.
Andrew Dunham, McPhillips Director, expressed pride in being chosen for the scheme, highlighting the creation of more homes, construction work, and jobs for local businesses and residents. He added that the new facility will help the council run a cleaner and more sustainable fleet.
Following the transfer of services to Hickman Avenue, the existing buildings at the Culwell Street depot will be demolished and the brownfield site remediated. This will prepare the land for the future development of hundreds of new homes as part of the Brewers Yard scheme. The completed development will feature a mix of houses, apartments, and new retail and commercial space, located near the city’s new transport interchange.
