Neptune’s £174m Wolverhampton Interchange takes step forward

  Neptune Developments, Wolverhampton city council and Centro have appointed Curtins Consulting to advise on the £174m Wolverhampton Interchange project in the city centre.     Curtins has been appointed as structural and civil engineering consultants on the project that is set to transform Wolverhampton’s city centre.   The scheme comprises a new bus station alongside a range of leisure and commercial buildings and 200,000 sq ft of public space.    Plans for first phase of the scheme have been submitted and, subject to consent, work should start on site in October.   The phase one planning application includes plans to rebuild the bus station and the demolition of Pipers Row, as well as the construction of a new two-storey building to the east of the Queens Building offering around 16,000 sq ft of shops and leisure space.   Neptune Developments is working on the project in partnership with Wolverhampton city council and Centro.   Anthony Clarke, flead engineer on the project at Curtins, said: “The current financial climate has had a major effect on the progression of this scheme, so it has been a slower process than we all hoped.   “But, many projects are still being kept on hold so it’s a relief to see the planning application for Wolverhampton being submitted.”   An outline planning application for the remainder of the scheme will also be submitted in September.   lisa.pilkington@rbi.co.uk