Council set to fast-track major employment site
Options to support the fast-tracking of a major employment site in Birmingham are to be progressed by the city council ahead of the scheme’s launch at this year’s MIPIM property exhibition.
The Peddimore site in Sutton Coldfield has been allocated in the Birmingham Development Plan (BDP) for employment development.
The site had been in the green belt but a pressing need for employment land was seen as grounds for over-riding normal planning guidelines.
Around 65 hectares (160 acres) of the 71-hectare site are likely to be developed and the land is owned by the city council.
The local authority has said the development of the site represents an opportunity to create a major high quality employment site that will attract significant investment into the city, providing thousands of jobs and boosting inclusive economic growth.
A report to today’s cabinet meeting has recommended approval of £400,000 to cover the cost of appointing professional services to prepare a series of options on how best to utilise the site following the installation of a main access road and key infrastructure.
The council said the £400,000 costs were incidental to the future disposal and development of the site and could therefore be funded from capital receipts.
A shortage of employment land and the need to stimulate the city’s long-term economy have been justified as reasons for the release of the site from the green belt.
“Now that the release has been confirmed the Peddimore site needs to be brought forward for development as quickly as possible given the pressing need to address the current shortage in employment land supply,” states the report to the committee.
“It is widely recognised that due to its size and location, Peddimore is the most significant opportunity in the West Midlands for major employment generation and investment.”
“Not to proceed would mean that the opportunity to deliver a key allocation in the Birmingham Development Plan is delayed and or missed which given the limited land supply available could result in a material loss of investment into the city,” concludes the report.
In order for the site to be developed new infrastructure needs to be installed including a new access point from the A38. In addition to this, utilities and services will need to be brought on to the site and distributed to allow development plots to come forward.
The project team assessing the various options will be tasked with producing a range of proposals which will be tested and the preferred option will be presented to the council in April.
The advisory team will also prepare all of the technical documents that are needed to support the next stages including site marketing. The legal advice will cover a range of disciplines including development, contracts, construction, procurement and state aid.
