SEGRO has been announced as a strategic partner of the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA), with a commitment to invest £2bn over the coming decade to deliver next generation, net-zero warehouse facilities in the West Midlands.
As a strategic partner, the UK industrial REIT aims to deliver 13.5 million sq ft of sustainable warehouse space across the West Midlands by the end of 2033, focused on tech-enabled logistics facilities as well as purpose-built space for Research & Development and light manufacturing.
The development programme is expected to create up to 14,000 jobs across a wide range of employment types and industry sectors.
The investment will be focused on a mix of warehousing types across the region. This includes the development of SEGRO Park Coventry – a 450-acre site that has planning permission for the construction of 3.7 million square feet of industrial buildings and warehouses.
This development programme exemplifies the company’s Responsible SEGRO commitments to champion low carbon growth and invest in local communities and environments. SEGRO will actively pursue whole life, net zero carbon development as its default approach, and will limit operational and embodied emissions so far as is feasible on each project.
It also plans to develop approximately 2,700 affordable, easy-to-use, and easy-to-access electric vehicle charging points at its developments across the region. This will also help businesses achieve long-term sustainable growth in the West Midlands, supporting the region’s ambition to become net zero by 2041.
David Sleath, Chief Executive Officer, SEGRO said: “There is a long-term shortage of modern, sustainable industrial employment space in the West Midlands, which is vital to enable the efficient movement of goods across the country, and to support high-tech Research & Development and manufacturing.
“By working closely with the West Midlands Combined Authority we can identify and unlock brownfield sites for development and deliver critical infrastructure that serves the whole of the UK, creating a diverse mix of local employment and supporting the creation of a more resilient economy across the country.
“SEGRO has an ambition to the best property company, and in line with this we look forward to working with West Midlands Combined Authority, local authorities, businesses, and communities in the West Midlands to accelerate our investment in the region and deliver best-in-class, next-generation warehousing.”
Andy Street, Mayor of West Midlands said: “SEGRO becoming a Strategic Partner is another welcome vote of confidence in our region and the investment programme they have committed to today is testament to their level of belief in a bright future ahead for the West Midlands.
“It is exactly this kind of private sector investment – combined with the public sector creating the right conditions – that will ultimately drive our prosperity in the months and years ahead.
“SEGRO’s investment programme will help regenerate long neglected areas right across our region – building just the sort of modern premises that companies need to grow – creating high quality jobs for local people in the process. These next generation developments will also support our region’s #WM2041 net zero commitment.
“I look forward to SEGRO’s investment programme resulting in projects on the ground that change the lives of local people in the months and years ahead.”
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