Faced with a lack of large, quality development sites in the region, West Midlands planners are evaluating a list of 13 potential candidates from which two will be selected as designated locations for major inward investment.
The move follows the decision of German electronics giant Siemens to build a new factory in the North East of England rather than the West Midlands, partly because of a lack of suitable sites.
The West Midlands Regional Forum of Local Authorities’ major investment sites project team , headed by Duncan Sutherland, director of development at Coventry Council, is evaluating the 13 sites. Regional Planning Guidance for the West Midlands (RPG11), published in September 1995, required the forum and the Government Office for the West Midlands to identify two major 50ha (123 acre) investment sites capable of attracting a “very large footloose multi-national single user,” says Sutherland.
The project team will recommend two sites to the forum in its final report in early July.Two of the 13 sites are in the Green Belt in Sutton Coldfield, at Peddimore (owned by Birmingham City Council), and at Walmley (owned by P&O Properties). Philips Electronics has been linked with both sites for a major new silicon wafer semi-conducter plant, but the firm, while acknowledging that it has inspected the sites, says that no decision has been made on where in the world it will build a new plant.
The other sites are believed to be at Sandhills in Walsall, Weatheroak Park between Redditch and Wythall in Worcestershire; Walsgrave in Coventry, Cresswell and Meaford near Stoke-on-Trent, and in southern Staffordshire.
According to Raymond Colbourne, strategic planner with Birmingham Council, the criteria by which the sites are being judged include: market attractiveness; deliverability; transport links; planning policy; environmental quality; infrastructure and grant status. Birmingham Council’s area has full development status, while most of the rest of the region has intermediate status.
He added that RSG11 did not rule out sites in the Green Belt. Sir Norman Fowler, MP for Sutton Coldfield, has objected to the two Sutton Coldfield sites because they are in the Green Belt.
“The loss of Siemens brought home to everyone in the West Midlands the importance of having available quality sites of the right size,” said, Will Rogers, head of investment and economic development at Birmingham Council.”This is an incredibly competitive business.”
EGi News 30/05/96
