Plans for Peddimore employment park underway

Plans to create Peddimore, a new high-quality employment park are underway as Birmingham City Council’s development partner sets out its commitment to create an economic asset that Birmingham, Royal Sutton Coldfield and the Midlands can be proud of.

In March, IM Properties (IMP), a significant investor in the Midlands was appointed by Birmingham City Council to deliver the first phase of the Peddimore employment park in Minworth after an extensive six-month international competition.

The company has this week issued an initial Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Scoping Request to Birmingham City Council and will now undertake technical work to set out the nature of the development, and its environmental implications during its potential construction and operational phases.

The EIA Scoping Request sets out the scope and methodology for assessing the likely effects of the development. The study takes account of all permanent and temporary activities proposed, including construction, and any landmarks, features or communities that could be affected. This extends beyond the immediate confines of the allocated 71 hectare site.

Commenting on the current milestone and vision for Peddimore, David Smith, planning director at IM Properties said:

“This is an important first step in the development of a planning application and our longer journey to create a best in class development which can attract leading national and international manufacturing and logistics businesses.

“We want to create a great place to work which also delivers long-term social and economic benefits for local people. By working together with businesses, schools and the community, we can deliver new jobs and ensure that Peddimore can be the catalyst for greater opportunities for local people who may not work directly at the site.”

Peddimore will be built to the highest standards of building design and will include substantial and attractive landscaping to help integrate the development into the local area. It will include measures to reduce environmental impact, and provide on-site amenities and first-class management throughout construction and operations to deliver growth in a considerate way.

IMP is committed to consulting with local people and stakeholders to gather feedback on its plans, which will help it to shape the best possible scheme for Peddimore. The company will present its proposals at a series of public exhibitions later this year, providing local people with an opportunity to have their say on the plans.

IMP will prepare a planning application which will be submitted to Birmingham City Council in Winter 2018 / 19. If the application is approved, infrastructure works would commence in September 2019.

Against a Midlands-wide shortage of strategic employment sites and to ensure that high quality industrial space is available to businesses, IM Properties has committed, once planning permission has been granted, to speculatively build 484,376 sq ft of buildings at Peddimore.

The company has a leading track record of sustainable development along the M42 corridor. In north Warwickshire it transformed Birch Coppice from a disused colliery into an award-winning business park, creating 6,500 jobs locally. The company is also the owner of Blythe Valley Park, a thriving 260-acre mixed-use community near Junction 4 of the M42.