The Black Country Development Corporation generated £143m of private investment in the year to 31 March 1996. During the same period over 158,000sq m of new and refurbished industrial and commercial floorspace was completed and over 500 new homes were built.
Chairman George Carter said yesterday that the corporation was a long way ahead of all the targets set by the Government when the corporation was established in 1987.
Work has started on dualling a 1km stretch of the A41 north of the Automotive Component Park, and it is expected to be open for traffic by the middle of next year. He said the highlight of last year was the opening of the Black Country New Road last November. The road gives direct access to 121ha (299 acres) of reclaimed land for development. Newly accessible sites were selling fast, he said.
Chief Executive David Morgan told the corporation’s annual meeting yesterday that discussions were continuing with the area’s three local authorities (Sandwell, Walsall and Wolverhampton), about who would do what after the corporation is wound up at the end of March 1998.
EGi News 25/07/96
