A contractor has been appointed to deliver the first phase of a new £1 billion logistics hub in the West Midlands - with plans to begin operations there as early as next year.
Winvic Construction has been awarded the design stage brief for the 734-acre West Midlands Interchange scheme in Staffordshire.
The project, on land next to junction 12 of the M6, will eventually house a huge new multimodal logistics and industrial park, complete with its own rail freight terminal, which will connect up with the West Coast Main Line, and a new link road joining the site up to the A5 and A449.
The completed park will have more than eight million sq ft of commercial space, with individual industrial units of up to 1.2 million sq ft, while 109 acres of the land has been earmarked for a new country park aimed at protecting and promoting biodiversity.
Developers estimate that the park, near the village of Four Ashes, will create 8,500 new jobs for the West Midlands region during its development, construction and operation. It is expected to take a decade to complete in its entirety.
The pre-construction services agreement signed with Winvic is the first of four phases of the development programme, followed by early enabling works, infrastructure works and the delivery of the actual units.
Projects of this nature are aimed at moving more freight and logistics traffic off the UK's road network and onto rail.
One rail freight carriage is capable of replacing anything between 44 and 72 HGV lorries and generating up to 70 per cent less carbon, according to the development team behind the scheme.
The project is being financed and delivered by Oxford Properties, the property arm of Canadian pension fund OMERS, in partnership with European developer Logistics Capital Partners which acquired the Staffordshire site last summer.
The pair are already working together on a 15-acre scheme at Heathrow Airport together.
Andy Busby, UK construction director at Logistics Capital Partners, said: "We are pleased to welcome Winvic to the delivery team.
"They bring extensive experience of constructing large-scale complex logistics projects like this and demonstrated a clear understanding of the leading approach we want to take to sustainable design, cutting edge automation and lasting economic and social impact for the region."
Rob Cook, Winvic Construction's director of civils and infrastructure added: "We're thrilled that Oxford Properties and Logistics Capital Partners value Winvic's sustainability credentials and experience in designing and constructing similar schemes, as well as our commitment to community and stakeholder collaboration.
"We're able to draw on our extensive project knowledge and assemble a skilful team to meet requirements."
James Boadle, head of logistics and residential for Europe at Oxford Properties, said: "It's an important milestone for the project as we begin delivery in earnest, having spent quarters three and four of 2021 preparing the site and building a collaborative approach with key partners including the local community, South Staffordshire District Council and Staffordshire County Council.
"With huge demand in the logistics market, we are keen to have a first offering ready in 2023."
