About 450 university staff to work at council base

City of Wolverhampton Council has agreed a lease deal with the university

Hundreds of university professional service staff will work at the City of Wolverhampton Council building, the authority has said.

A lease deal will see about 450 of University of Wolverhampton staff, in areas such as finance, HR, recruitment and marketing, operating from the St Peter's Square site for at least 10 years.

The initiative would deliver economic efficiencies for both organisations and boost footfall in the city centre, the council said.

The move from the university to Wolverhampton Civic Centre will be phased, starting in August, with the aim of having all departments settled in by October.

The council's cabinet member for city development, jobs and skills Chris Burden stated the switch would support the authority's efforts "in making the best use of our buildings and managing financial challenges".

The change promoted "public sector partnering" and supported the university's growth and development, he added.

University chief operating officer Dr Pete Cross said partnering with the council "enables us to contribute meaningfully to the city's regeneration, reinforcing our role as a civic university committed to the prosperity of our community".