New medical campus deal mired in uncertainty

Uncertainty surrounds the future of a major new educational development in Dudley after plans for a medical college look to be unravelling.

A proposed Castle Hill campus called Health Innovation Dudley (HID), built at a cost of £26m for a partnership between Dudley College and Worcester University seems set to stand empty.

The university appears to have pulled out of the deal, leaving the college and Dudley Council searching for a new tenant for the 3,618sqm, four-storey building.

A Dudley Council document signed by Kathy Jones, Dudley group director of Housing and assets said: “It was intended that on completion it would be immediately leased to Dudley College of Technology and sub-leased to the University of Worcester however the interest from University of Worcester fell away creating a period of uncertainty.”

The building was completed in March 2026 amid a fanfare of publicity, speaking at the time, Professor David Green CBE, the University of Worcester vice chancellor and chief executive, said: “We are delighted to be working with Dudley Council, Dudley College and the NHS to bring the opportunity to train as a nurse and gain this valuable qualification here in Dudley.”

The development was funded by Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) under the Local Regeneration Fund and was set to provide places for up to 1,000 students in the first five years.

Speaking when construction was completed, Cllr Patrick Harley, leader of Dudley Council, said: “This is another fantastic addition and asset to the innovation quarter here in Dudley and I am thrilled to see the construction phase completed on time and on budget.”

After the university lost interest a search began for a new tenant while Dudley College agreed to take a one-year lease.

A possible tenant was identified but the specialised building, which was a bespoke design based on the University of Worcester plan, would have required an extension which the council said would ‘incur significant time and cost implications’.

Another potential, longer-term, tenant has now been identified and a possible deal will be discussed behind closed doors at a meeting of Dudley’s cabinet on October 8.

The document signed by Ms Jones said: “This is a complex partnership project with the council, college and third party working together to deliver outcomes to the benefit of Dudley’s residents.”