Stalled £67m business park's lifeline

A stalled £67million business park in Wolverhampton was today back on track after aerospace giant Moog confirmed that it was relocating there.

More than 400 city jobs will be protected by the firm building a factory on the i54 site.

Moog wants to move because it can only rent its premises - the nearby former Boulton Paul factory - despite having bought the firm from GE Aviation.

If the deal could not have been struck, the company, which makes flight and engine control systems for Boeing and Airbus, warned that it may have moved out of Wolverhampton with the loss of 400 jobs.

The i54 in Wobaston Road, Fordhouses, has already cost £17.4million but is currently an empty field with roads.

It was dreamed up in 1996 as a business park that would create 6,000 jobs but no developer came forward to build the entire complex.

Instead, Advantage West Midlands, which is facing the axe in 2012, has started to offer the i54 for sale piece, by piece.

It is now hoped that today's announcement by Moog will encourage others to come forward.

Work will transfer to the i54 by September 2012.

The firm is submitting a planning application to South Staffordshire Council for permission to build the new facility to house design, development and manufacturing activities for aircraft controls. It is to be considered on November 9.

Wolverhampton City Council leader Councillor Neville Patten said today: "This will kickstart development for the rest of the site."

Stuart Mclachlan, director and general manager at Moog, said: "This is a key strategic move for Moog."