By Liza Helps, Property Editor, Logistics Matters

KNOWN AS Indurent Park Solihull, the scheme, on a 130-acre site, is located close to Junction 4 of the M42 motorway opposite Blythe Valley Park.

Planning documents indicate the developer is looking to provide a 980,000 ft2 scheme with units ranging from 76,000 to 413,000 ft2, with the potential for build-to-suit of up to 600,000 ft2. All buildings will aim to achieve BREEAM Excellent and an EPC A+ rating.

If approved, the scheme could provide up to 185 construction jobs and a further 1,875 jobs once fully operational, according to planning documents. It is also estimated to contribute £52.2m GVA to the local economy, plus £3.4m in business rates revenue.

Once planning has been approved, it is thought construction works (including site clearance and earthworks) could commence as early as 2030. The development is expected to be fully operational by 2032.

However, there is strong opposition to the scheme from Hockley Heath Parish Council, and a 17-page objection was submitted by Knowle, Dorridge and Bentley Heath (KDBH) Neighbourhood Forum, which, among other points, noted that the site is green belt and is not allocated in the Local Plan.

At present the Highways Authority has recommended a pause on the application while further information is gathered regarding highways issues, including the ability of Junction 4 of the M42 to cope with increased traffic movements.

The West Midlands Strategic Employment Sites Study (WMSESS) has identified a shortage of suitable large-scale sites in the region. Indeed, Savills’ market signals-based methodology, which accounts for suppressed demand and future e-commerce growth, estimates a requirement for between 146 ha and 185 ha of I&L land in Solihull over a 16-year period.