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Plans for a new economic growth and regeneration zone in Wolverhampton and South Staffordshire aimed at boosting innovation and creating thousands of jobs have been unveiled.

Called The Central Edge, they have been developed by Wolverhampton, Staffordshire and South Staffordshire councils which together led the i54 business park next to the M54 and from where this new zone will expand.

It is hoped the zone will become a hub for advanced manufacturing, R&D and sustainable technologies.

The Central Edge area consists of Wolverhampton's Green Innovation Corridor and logistics and advanced manufacturing locations in South Staffordshire.

The corridor connects assets at the Springfield Campus with the University of Wolverhampton Science Park and further north to i54.

South Staffordshire is hoping to leverage major infrastructure projects like the new West Midlands Interchange, a 734-acre £1 billion rail freight logistics hub west of Cannock, the proposed M54/M6 link road and Indurent's site at junction 13 of the M6.

The Central Edge has been developed following a feasibility study and includes 16.4 million sq ft of development land, a potential £582 million in GVA and the creation of 14,700 jobs.

Other partners including University of Wolverhampton, Logistics Capital Partners and Indurent will help to secure further investment.

Staffordshire County Council's deputy leader Cllr Martin Murray said: "Growing the economy and creating good jobs for local people is a key priority for the new leadership and we are committed to working with partners to deliver real benefits for businesses and residents."

The new growth zone was unveiled to delegates and investors at the º£½ÇÊÓƵREiiF property conference in Leeds this week.