Type=image;ImageID=7871;ImageClass=left;ImageTitle=i54 South Staffordshire aerial view;TitleClass=strong;
The partnership of South Staffordshire Council, Staffordshire County Council and City of Wolverhampton Council scooped top honours for Best Partnership Working Initiative at the Association for Public Service Excellence (APSE) awards.
The award recognised the 3 council's partnership working to secure major investment and bring thousands of jobs to the area.
South Staffordshire Council was also highly commended in the 'Best Efficiency and Transformation Initiative' category.
Councillor John Reynolds, Wolverhampton City Council Cabinet Member for City Economy, said: "This latest award recognises the impact of i54 as it continues to go from strength to strength. Everyone involved in the project should be extremely proud of their achievements. It has been delivered by a unique partnership between the 3 councils, delivered on time, on budget and sets new standards for British business, engineering and advanced manufacturing. Our joint investment at i54 has secured hundreds of millions of pounds of further investment and has brought thousands of jobs to the area."
Leader of South Staffordshire Council Brian Edwards said: "This award represents the hard work done by all 3 councils to secure investment and bring jobs and growth to Staffordshire and Wolverhampton. Together we have shown how an effective local authority partnership can put aside physical and political boundaries to stimulate growth, secure investment and above all, create jobs for local people."
Staffordshire County Council's economy leader Mark Winnington said: "I54 South Staffordshire is now a leading regional hub for business and innovation and this is another award which demonstrates Government and industry recognition of the project. Effective delivery was essential following our meticulous planning and commitment to leading businesses we now see operating on site. This now means more employment and skills development opportunities for local people and will continue to have a positive impact on the wider area."
The success of i54, part of the Black Country Enterprise Zone, is the result of hard work and long term planning by the 3 different councils - united to stimulate growth, create jobs and make i54 a development with international significance.
Staffordshire County Council and Wolverhampton City Council invested over £40 million to build the motorway junction and site infrastructure. The investment will be repaid from future business rates collected from the site by South Staffordshire Council. The engineering works, led by the county council, are the largest civil engineering undertaking in its history.
The businesses currently operating on site are Jaguar Land Rover, Moog, Eurofins and International Security Printers, representing 2,000 jobs, 1.3 million square feet of floorspace and £600 million of investment.
Extensive work continues to ensure communities and businesses in Staffordshire and Wolverhampton benefit from the development including recruitment and apprenticeship programmes; meet the buyer events to promote supply chain opportunities; and the continued marketing of the remaining land at i54 to prospective occupiers.
In June 2013 the City of Wolverhampton Council, Staffordshire County Council and South Staffordshire Council won the MJ Community Investor Award, a national award which recognises the efforts of local authorities to support development in their communities. In July this year i54 partners scooped the prize for Integration and Collaborative Working, at the West Midlands Constructing Excellence Awards.
- released: Monday 28 September, 2015