Tributes paid in Parliament to Wolverhampton Council leader

Mr Brookfield died last week aged 57 following a battle with cancer.

Tributes were paid to him in the Commons this week – as one of the key projects he hoped would help regenerate the city was raised during Housing, Communities and Local Government questions.

Leading the tributes, Wolverhampton North East MP Jane Stevenson said Labour councillor Mr Brookfield would be "greatly missed by many people".

She asked ministers to support plans for an investment zone in the city – a project which Mr Brookfield previously said could create nearly 6,000 jobs and add £1.5billion GVA to Wolverhampton's economy.

Ms Stevenson said the site, covering Springfield Brewery to the Science Park, would help attract businesses to Wolverhampton to "capitalise on the expertise our city now has on technology around home building, and attract high quality jobs to my constituency".

Housing Minister Rachel Maclean MP joined her in paying tribute to Mr Brookfield "on behalf of myself and all the ministers" in the Department Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.

"The investment zone programme is underway for the eight shortlisted places in England announced in the recent Spring Budget," she said.

"The West Midlands is one of the eight places selected for inclusion in the programme. We are currently co-developing proposals and we will look very carefully at her proposal for the reasons she sets out."

Speaking in October last year Mr Brookfield stressed the importance of bringing an investment zone to the city.

He said: "The Wolverhampton proposal is centred around the Green Innovation Corridor that will build on the city’s key assets in skills, research and high-end manufacturing to level up the city’s economy and support business growth and jobs.

"Overall, externally verified economic data tells us a Wolverhampton investment zone could, over ten years, generate 5,947 jobs and add more than £1.5 billlion GVA to the city economy."