Proposals

We want to create a high quality, modern, sustainable and industry leading employment Park that provides benefits to the local community and improves the local environment.

Our proposals would deliver approximately 55,750 sqm (600,000 sq ft) of industrial and logistics space, helping to meet increasing industry demand whilst addressing employment land supply constraints within the region.

Economic Benefits for South Staffordshire

Our Parks strengthen local economies, bringing much needed local jobs and economic growth. They also enable companies to stay and grow in their local area.

The development would offer a variety of jobs at differing skill levels, with an increasing proportion of higher-skill roles associated with engineering and technological professions in response to increased automation and robotics in the sector and more advanced supply chain processes. Office-based roles are increasingly co-locating alongside production and logistics uses as it is convenient for these people to be closer to the operations they control and analyse. Each unit would feature Grade A office space, supporting job opportunities across a range of business support and administrative functions.

This would in turn lead to the creation of more than 1,000 jobs at the construction and operational phases. On top of this, analysis indicates that for every 10 new on-site jobs created, another 7 to 12 jobs are created offsite across the wider supply chain.

A growing number of our buildings are used as company headquarters and provide a diverse range of jobs.

The development would also bring significant local benefits, including:

Significant economic boost to the local economy, with Gross Value Added of circa £46.4 million per annum.
Total business rates amounting to circa £1.8 million per annum, supporting the delivery of local services.
A range of new jobs for local people, including approx.. 140 gross construction jobs per annum over the construction period and approx.. 880 gross operational jobs (many of which would be in highly skilled areas).
Opportunities for young people, such as pupil visit days, work experience placements, apprenticeships, and graduate schemes.
Numerous exciting opportunities for collaboration with the local community and St. Leonard’s CofE First School, including the provision of extensive community green space to the south of the site and a potential school drop off area.
Access by public transport to areas of deprivation, providing a range of new job and training opportunities across all skill levels.

Design Principles

We have distilled our vision down into four key design principles: context, climate, connectivity and community. More information on each can be found below.

Context

The site’s close proximity to the M6 motorway and existing business makes it a key location for industrial and logistics uses.

The development proposals have been informed by a robust and comprehensive landscape and visual assessment, with great care taken to ensure that the new buildings will sit sensitively within the surrounding environment. The proposals will respect the historic and rural characteristics of the surrounding area, utilising extensive woodland planting to help screen the development.

Climate

Sustainability will be central to the development, guided by our pioneering Swan Standard and Energy Code, and will include a range of green spaces for recreation and amenity. New habitat creation, including native woodland planting, strengthening existing hedgerows, and the addition of species rich grassland and wildflower meadows, will ensure there is a significant net gain in biodiversity on site, well in excess of policy requirements.

Connectivity

There will be safe and efficient vehicular access to the A449 via a new junction, allowing easy access to the M6 at Junction 13. A range of measures to improve sustainable travel will include creating a new shared footway/cycleway on the eastern side of the A449, cycle shelters, electric vehicle charging, and public right of way enhancements to improve access to the countryside from Dunston.

The site is well connected to the nearby key settlements, with regular bus services to Cannock, Penkridge, and Stafford providing opportunities for people to access a variety of jobs by sustainable travel methods.

Community

Around 2.8 hectares (6.9 acres) of recreational and amenity land is proposed to the south of the site, which could be used for a variety of community uses including use by St. Leonards C of E First School. This land will also act as a key buffer between the site and Dunston.

We are keen to hear views on what this land would be best used for to benefit the local community. Initial ideas include provision of informal play areas, biodiversity enhancements, food growing opportunities, walking and recreational paths, and an opportunity to incorporate a school drop off area/ car park for St. Leonards C of E First School.