Major plans to extend prominent business park set for approval

The i54 expansion plan

Major plans to extend the i54 business park near Wolverhampton, which could create up to 1,667 jobs, have been put forward.

City of Wolverhampton Council, Staffordshire County Council and Midlands Land Portfolio are seeking permission from South Staffordshire Council for the development, which would be extended by around 100 acres to provide up to 100,000sq m of employment development.

The planning report said: “As the proposal is currently at outline the exact economic benefits are unclear at this stage. However, options for a single unit and multiple units have been modelled for the submitted economic statement; with it expected that the development will create between 1367 and 1667 jobs (gross). This represents a significant economic benefit.

“The proposal forms part of the western extension to i54 that was removed from the Green Belt and allocated though the Council’s SAD.

“As such the principle of the development has been established. Therefore, subject to agreement on the submitted technical reports by the relevant organisations, it is Local Plans view that application should be approved.”

The site sits directly west of the existing i54 South Staffordshire, which is already home to aerospace firm Moog Aircraft Group, ISP Printers, laboratory testing company Eurofins, while Jaguar Land Rover has opened an advanced engine facility on the site.

The planning report said: “The site has been identified as part of an Enterprise Zone and the Local Plan is supportive of the site fulfilling its potential as an advanced manufacturing/aerospace hub that attracts national and international inward investment to the area.”

An access is proposed from the existing i54 site, via Innovation Drive, with a new access road running alongside the JLR boundary to the north east.

The application also proposes the diversion of the existing public right of way running almost centrally on the site and some landscaping.

The report said: “The application includes an outline of the proposed development area (where the buildings will go). However, as the end user of the site has not come forward, the form and scale of the buildings needed is yet to be decided. This will be determined at reserved matters stage. Two indicative layouts have been submitted, one showing a very large building and a second showing three smaller buildings.”

The proposals will go before the planning committee on Tuesday January 15.

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