£100m logistics hub reaches major milestone
Walsall Council and HBD, part of Henry Boot, have reached a milestone with the completion of the first phase of a £100m regeneration project at SPARK in Walsall.
The two-year remediation effort by contractor John F Hunt has set the stage for the transformation of the former James Bridge Copper Works site, once the largest undeveloped brownfield site in the Black Country.
SPARK is designed to be a 40-acre logistics and manufacturing hub, developed by HBD in partnership with Walsall Council, Homes England, West Midlands Combined Authority and Black Country LEP.
Construction is set to begin early next year, with plans approved for 620,000 sq ft of space set to bolster the Midlands’ manufacturing and logistics economy with 1,100 jobs. The first units are expected to be ready for occupancy by Q3 2025.
Remediation was carried out without sending thousands of tonnes of material to landfills, which helped reduce vehicle movements and achieve carbon savings.
A total of 1.3m tonnes of material was excavated and processed, much of which was recycled to create the development platform for SPARK, while also treating 5.7 million litres of groundwater.
Ed Hutchinson, managing director of HBD, said: “It’s fantastic to have reached this milestone at SPARK, transforming what was once the largest undeveloped brownfield site in the Black Country into a development-ready project. SPARK is key to meeting demand for high-quality, sustainable manufacturing space in the West Midlands while boosting the economy with more than a thousand new jobs. There are very few developments as well-located, which has driven strong early interest from occupiers.”
Cllr Adrian Andrew, associate leader of Walsall Council, said: “It’s great to see how much progress has been made at SPARK and I’m really excited to see construction start soon. SPARK is a huge project for Walsall and will create hundreds of jobs and lots of great business opportunities. It’s been a long road to get to this point but I’m really proud to have been able to work with HBD to bring this site back into economic use and create opportunities for local people.”
Guy Scott, Project Director for Homes England, said: “The completion of the remediation works marks an important milestone for the SPARK project, ensuring that this large brownfield site can be developed into a sustainable place that will provide much needed employment opportunities in Walsall and the wider area.”
