Traffic

Will you issue road closure notifcations?

We will share details of upcoming traffic management with locally impacted residents via a 2-week lookahead advance work notices (AWNs) through the use of maildrops, emails, social media and the project website as communication channels.

Where exactly are you putting the two laybys on the A449 and are they permanent?

The laybys on the A449 northbound and southbound carriageways are replacing the eastbound and westbound laybys on the A5, which will be removed to enable the A5 access roundabout to be installed. The new laybys will be approx. 500m south of the Gailey roundabout.

Will there be provision for parking on the WMI site when it is completed and facilities for drivers?

Each unit will have dedicated HGV parking and driver facilities in line with modern HSE standards. The unit owners/occupiers will be responsible for managing the facilities.

Which side of the A449 laybys will you be constructing first?

We are delivering them both at the same time, so traffic management will be in place to reduce the A449 to one lane in each direction to complete our work safely. National Highways traffic assessments of traffic flows have indicated this will be ok, but we will review the situation on the ground should issues arise.

We are reviewing the traffic management plans for turning traffic with coned lanes so that traffic is split into the left lane for A5 and right lane for straight over or right turn at the Gailey roundabout.

There will also be advance warning signs on A5/A449/M6 indicating ‘Delays possible’ to encourage avoidance of this area by regional traffic. SCC have taken the decision to not put out local diversion signage as this could encourage use by regional traffic. Local residents will know routes to use to avoid the area when travelling locally.

When will the A449 laybys be constructed?

Our work to construct the new laybys on the A449 are programmed to start in early January 2025 and complete in Summer 2025. Traffic management will include lane closures in each direction, as well as full overnight closures. During the closures there will be a fully signed diversion route in place which will be suitable for all vehicle types.

The diversion route will direct road users along the A5 Watling Street, M6, A460 Cannock Road and M54 to rejoin the A449 Stafford Road.

Ahead of our construction works starting for the new laybys we also need to complete vegetation clearance to provide access to our working areas. This is planned to be carried out in December 2024, and will be completed under lane closures on both carriageways. The A449 Stafford Road will remain open during the vegetation clearance work.

Community

What type of routes will be available in the community parks?

The 109-acre community parks will include various walking routes to enjoy, whether you are walking the dog, going for a run or simply enjoying a walk in the outdoors. There is something for everyone.

Will the community park walking routes include accessible routes too?

Yes, whilst there may be some mown strips through meadows to walk through, the majority of walking routes will be made accessible for wheelchair users.

Will the amount of walking routes increase as a result of the community park initiative WMI is delivering?

In total, 10 times more metres of footpath will be created in the area. As well as this, a series of fitness trails will be created at 1km, 3km and 5km in length. These additional green spaces will provide more outdoor space for the local community than had been available previously.

How many extra metres of footpath will there be in the park as a result of the work WMI are delivering in the community parks?

Proposals for the community parks include 5,450 metres of additional footpath. The breakdown for the additional metres of footpath is as follows:

  • Calf Heath Community Park – 2,500 metres
  • Croft Lane Community Park – 1,600 metres
  • Between Calf Heath Park and canal/link road – 1,350 metres
Within the S106 agreement, there is a pot of cash for community projects among other things. How do we apply?

The community investment fund is part of the DCO commitments for WMI. The mechanism and criteria for application to and award by SCC who control the fund is not yet fully designed. we will continue to work with SCC to progress this opportunity.

We are also looking for opportunities for the project itself to offer social value through activities like volunteering by team members, so please talk to us if you think you have a project we can help with skills or time over and above those that just require cash.

Can the S106 monies be ring fenced so that they benefit the local community impacted in this area by the development?

SCC as the local planning authority is permitted by governance to spend the S106 monies however and wherever they consider investment is required across the authority area. However, the community fund pot must be spent locally, and this was set out in the DCO.

How do you get access to this community fund?

The SCC have control of this fund. There is a dedicated S106 team within SCC and updates on what projects have been supported/funded are discussed regularly.

There is a criteria for how the fund is accessed which is set into a two-phase process. The process will be communicated to the local community and wider public when the application process and criteria are in place.

Does the WMI project plan to offer ongoing community support, such as that provided by Veolia, as a positive goodwill gesture?

WMI is the mechanism by which the business units and road/rail interchange will be delivered on the ground. Once the units become occupied by what will be huge multinational companies in the main, we are sure that many of these businesses will have their own social value/community funds to distribute locally. But we would emphasise that WMI has an enormous social value programme to deliver alongside the construction programme on the ground and you will be hearing more about this as works progress.

What is the total value of the S106?

The total S106 contribution is £10 million.

Will those who are impacted be compensated?

There are funds available local community to support initiatives which we will be announced in the coming months, these include Noise Mitigation funds and the Community Investment funds.

What opportunities are there for local businesses?

We are keen for local businesses and small and medium enterprises to have the chance to work with the project. Opportunities for local contractors to work on behalf of the contractors will be promoted among local businesses as they arise.

What employment opportunities are available at the site?

We will promote specific job opportunities over the lifecycle of the project.

Environment

What impact will the development have on the environment?

The West Midlands Interchange is supporting a reduction of approximately 50 million kilometres in Heavy Goods Vehicle travel on the national road network, making a direct contribution to reducing greenhouse gas emissions associated with transport. In addition, rail freight products around 76% less carbon dioxide, up to 15 times lower nitrogen oxide emissions and nearly 90% lower particulate emissions that road freight tonne for tonne.

In the local area, we are committed to planting over 18 hectares of additional woodland alongside hedgerow and tree planting. Around 12 hectares of farmland to the south of the development will be retained and enhanced to provide habitats for local wildlife including birds. We will also create a green corridor connecting Calf Heath Wood with Calf Heath Reservoir and enhance the Staffs and Worcs Canal corridor and towpath for recreation and leisure. The project is also creating two community parks that will compromise over 109 acres.

We are also ensuring that day-to-day operation of the site is as sustainable as possible. Around 36% of the site will comprise green infrastructure and all warehouse roofs will be 100% PV-ready, meaning we can accommodate installation of solar panels across the site. This creates the opportunity for over 150 acres of PV panels providing potentially 100 MW of renewable energy for the site at peak times.

When will WMI start to plant the 18 hectares of additional woodland?

This will be delivered in a phased approach throughout the project, with the first phase being delivered within the community park.

What are you planting?

We are planting native species, which means types of trees that will be able to grow naturally in the area, that are best placed for good biodiversity. This will include the planting of oak trees that support both insects and birds, and a native black poplar.

Will the trees you plant make up for the ones you removed?

We are proposing to plant a larger area of trees than what we have lost, which will end up having more wooded areas.

What will happen to water on site, arising from rainfall and surface water?

Water from all sources will be captured and piped to attenuation ponds, from where it will be released via ditches into the canal. In one area of the site, the water will go straight into the canal via a non-return valve to prevent surface flooding from push back. The attenuation ponds and associated water infrastructure are designed to perform in a 1 in 100-year event and will store and release water as appropriate.

We have been in discussion with the CRT, and they are keen to receive the run-off to maintain water levels, and all permissions are in place with the Environment Agency and relevant stakeholders for temporary discharges and permanent connections.

What measures have taken place to keep the roads clean?

There are two road sweepers in operation full-time to ensure the entrance roads on Stables Lane, Straight Mile and Vicarage Road are kept clean and we limit the number of site haul routes that are operational at any one time.

This was recently reduced to one road sweeper as the number of vehicles leaving the site has reduced. This will be regularly reviewed, and will be adjusted in line with the volume of vehicle movements going forward.

The Project

What is happening?

Oxford Properties Group, a leading global real estate investor, developer and manager, alongside Logistics Capital Partners, a best-in-class developer and asset manager of logistics real estate across Europe, has acquired a 734-acre site near Birmingham, UK, to create a major new logistics hub with railway freight terminal. This site is known as the West Midlands Interchange.

Who is Oxford Properties?

Oxford Properties Group (“Oxford”) is a leading global real estate investor, developer and manager. It builds, buys, and grows defined real estate operating business with world-class management teams. Established in 1960, Oxford and its portfolio companies manage approximately C$70 billion of assets across four continents on behalf of their investment partners. Oxford’s owned portfolio encompasses office, logistics, retail, multifamily residential, life sciences and hotels; it spans more than 150 million square feet in global gateway cities and high-growth hubs. A thematic investor with a committed source of capital, Oxford invests in properties, portfolios, development sites, debt, securities, and real estate businesses across the risk-reward spectrum. Together with its portfolio companies, Oxford is one of the world’s most active developers with over 100 projects currently underway globally across all major asset classes. Oxford is owned by OMERS, the Canadian defined benefit pension plan for Ontario’s municipal employees.

Who is Logistics Capital Partners (LCP)?

LCP is a top ranked pan European logistics development and asset management platform, founded by James Markby, Kristof Verstraeten, and Andrea Benvenuti in 2015.

Within five years the group has quickly established itself across Europe, with offices and projects in 7 countries (Italy, The Netherlands, Belgium, France, UK, Luxembourg, and Spain), and with relationships and projects on behalf of corporate occupier clients including Amazon, Kering, XPO, and Primark etc.

Currently, LCP has planned construction starts of 19 million sq ft and additionally manages over 1 million sqm (10 million sq ft) of income producing logistics assets for a range of global institutional capital partners.

What is the West Midlands Interchange?

West Midlands Interchange is the UK’s largest logistics development site, spanning 734-acres on land west of Junction 12 of the M6 in South Staffordshire, and incorporates a Strategic Rail Freight Interchange (SRFI) to create an intermodal logistics hub.

West Midlands Interchange will be linked directly to the West Coast Main Line, one of the country’s principal rail freight routes, and will be well placed to serve the West Midlands, the Black Country, Staffordshire, Birmingham, the northern M6 corridor and parts of Warwickshire.

Once building is complete, it will accommodate rail-served and rail-linked warehouses ranging in size from 200,000 square feet to over 1 million square feet, allowing the region’s important logistics industry to grow. The scheme will create 8,500 direct jobs boosting opportunities for people in South Staffordshire, the Black Country, the West Midlands, and other surrounding areas.

As part of the development, we will deliver a new A5/A449 link road providing a new connection between these strategic roads and enhancing the resilience of the Strategic Road Network.

What size will the warehouses be?

Most warehouses will have eaves heights of 20m, while 15% have consent up to 24m and a further 15% up to 30m high.

Who will be occupying the site?

We are in conversations with businesses and organisations on whom will occupy the site. These negotiations are a lengthy process, and we will continue to update members of the public via the website and newsletters in due course.

What is the value of the site?

Once constructed the site will have a value of around £1bn.

Who was previously responsible for the site?

During the planning phase, including securing a specific type of planning permission known as a Development Consent Order from the Secretary of State for Transport, the West Midlands Interchange was promoted by Four Ashes Limited (FAL) – a business group led by Kilbride Holdings.

Kilbride Holdings worked in partnership with privately owned international property group, Grosvenor Group, which provided funding, and Piers Monckton, the majority landowner. The Kilbride Holdings team has developed rail-based projects for Jaguar Land Rover in Halewood and Castle Bromwich, and Honda as well as several infrastructure-led developments in the UK.

Where is the project located?

It lies either side of a branch of the West Coast Main Line and is bounded by the A449 to the west and the A5 to the north where it meets the M6 at junction 12, bringing all the connectivity benefits of the national road network and main railway line but without the capacity constraints imposed by the greater train numbers and train speeds on the main line itself.

Why is the project needed?

A new Strategic Rail Freight Interchange has been identified as vital to the future prosperity of South Staffordshire, the Black Country and West Midlands region since 2004. The West Midlands’ strong manufacturing and logistics industrial base is growing, and there is currently a shortage of suitable quality development land for large scale rail-served logistics warehousing. Fast, reliable transport links are needed to help the region’s businesses compete in national and international business markets.

Alongside supporting local businesses compete on a global stage, the West Midlands Interchange also supports government policy to shift the transport of goods from road to rail. Increased rail freight transport helps reduce carbon emissions and business efficiencies providing economic benefits. Tonne for tonne, rail freight produces 76% less carbon dioxide (Rail Freight Strategy, 2016 ), up to 15 times less nitrogen oxide emissions and nearly 10 times less particulate emissions than road freight.

What will the project mean for jobs?

WMI has begun the process of creating 8,500 direct, full-time jobs, 40% of which will be higher skilled and administrative positions offering opportunities for people in South Staffordshire, the Black Country, the West Midlands and surrounding areas.

It is estimated that spending will support a further 8,100 indirect and induced jobs in the UK economy through the distribution chain and across a broad spectrum of business sectors. WMI will also aim to support surrounding communities by providing upskilling and training opportunities for local people.

Salaries in the logistics industry are above the national average and rising faster than the national average. Companies in the logistics sector invest substantially in their workforce, often training individuals for engineering roles and offering apprenticeships.

What are the benefits of the project?

West Midlands Interchange will support both the Midlands Engine and the Government’s Modern Industrial Strategy to help deliver economic growth for the West Midlands and nationally:

  • Helping to make businesses competitive at home and abroad through more reliable and efficient rail freight links and logistics facilities;
  • Generating around £430m of local economic activity each year;
  • Creating over £900m of national economic activity each year via the supply chain.

It will help reduce carbon emissions and ease congestion in the region and nationally:

  • Supporting the Government’s policy to create a national network of SRFIs and encouraging the shift of goods from road to rail – rail freight produces 76% less carbon dioxide, up to 15 times lower nitrogen oxide emissions and nearly 90% lower particulate emissions than road freight tonne for tonne;
  • Reducing HGV journeys – conservatively estimated at 50 million HGV kilometres each year when fully operational.

And it will boost opportunities for people in South Staffordshire, The Black Country, the West Midlands, and other surrounding areas:

  • Creating 8,500 direct, full-time jobs, of which an estimated 40% of jobs will be higher skilled and administrative positions, and representing 17% of the Stoke-on-Trent & Staffordshire Local Enterprise Partnership’s new jobs target to 2030;
  • Offering upskilling and training for local people to benefit from new jobs;
  • With spending estimated to support a further 8,100 indirect jobs in the UK economy.