Levelling Up Zones
Over 1million people with a degree, more than any other Combined Authority
WMCA, working with its local authority and business partners, created the concept and set the detail of a policy for Levelling Up Zones. Through the Devolution Deal it then secured HMG Agreement to establish six Zones at the heart of the region’s economic growth and levelling up programmes.
(i) East Birmingham and North Solihull (EBNS) LUZ that connects the HS2 station at Curzon Street in Birmingham City Centre with the HS2 Interchange station at Arden Cross, the NEC and Birmingham Airport.
(ii) Wolverhampton Growth Corridor LUZ will drive the Green Industrial Revolution, building upon Wolverhampton’s sustainable construction, green credentials, and circular economy. It will connect key assets at the University of Wolverhampton’s Springfield Campus with Wolverhampton Science Park and the City Centre.
(iii) Walsall Growth Corridor LUZ is located along the A454 from Walsall Town Centre to Willenhall. Substantial transport interventions are already well underway with the LUZ area having huge brownfield development opportunities.
(iv) Dudley Growth Corridor LUZ is located along the line of the Dudley Metro Extension from Dudley to Brierley Hill, which will open up significant areas of brownfield land.
(v) Sandwell: Wednesbury to Tipton LUZ will also be served by the new Metro Extension and will unlock and repurpose existing underutilised brownfield sites.
(vi) Coventry and Warwickshire LUZ is an area around Coventry Airport that is uniquely located to drive the transformation of the automotive sector and create a new gigafactory to support electric vehicle manufacture in the UK.