Origin, the UK focused industrial and logistics platform formed by HBD, part of Henry Boot, and Feldberg Capital, has started on site with the first phase of SPARK, a £100 million scheme in Walsall.
Contractor Bowmer and Kirkland have been appointed to deliver the first two units of 255,000sq ft and 18,000sq ft which will both be ready for occupation by Q4 2025.
SPARK is a 44 acre regeneration project which, once complete, will deliver a total of 620,000sq ft of high spec, net zero carbon enabled space within the region’s manufacturing and logistics heartland. Just minutes from J9 and 10 of the M6, it sits at the gateway to the Midlands. Coupled with its 12MVA power supply, the scheme has seen strong interest from potential occupiers.
The site was remediated by HBD in partnership with Walsall Council, West Midlands Combined Authority, Black Country LEP and Homes England. It has transformed what was once the Black Country’s largest undeveloped brownfield site to create a thriving new employment scheme.
“ It’s just an incredible feeling to see something I’ve been involved with for such a long time actually coming together and the buildings actually starting to come out of the ground.
Regeneration like this does take a long time. You have to be patient and you have to have a vision.
Collectively, with the council, with Homes England, Black Country LEP and latterly with the Combined Authority, that vision and ambition has been there.
I have to pay tribute to HBD and the people they’ve got on board to deliver this in such good time and in good order to start creating that space to create jobs for the people of Walsall.
It’s great news for the region, great news for the Black Country and it also demonstrates to the Government and to civil servants what is needed to create these sites in the Black Country.
We need that funding for remediation and we need that understanding we need these sites cleaned up so we can deliver the growth the Government wants to deliver “
Councillor Adrian Andrew, Associate Leader
Walsall Council
Richard Parker, Mayor of West Midlands, said: “For more than two decades this site in Walsall has lay derelict and abandoned. But now, following a multi million pound investment, it will be a site open for development – bringing in businesses, investment and jobs.
“This former copper works, once a place of heavy industry, is being transformed into a site ready to house modern manufacturing and logistics companies in the region. It will create hundreds of valuable jobs, but most importantly, it will be a catalyst for economic growth in the region.”
Ed Hutchinson, Managing Director of HBD, said: “Working alongside Walsall Council and our partners, the team has completed an extremely complex remediation project to transform the site. It’s positive to see construction beginning on the first two units, boosting the supply of Grade A industrial and logistics space, which remains tight across the West Midlands.”
Jamie Acheson, Managing Director of Feldberg Capital, commented: “Alongside our partner HBD, we are delighted to have commenced construction of this landmark development for the Origin platform. This project supports our investment thesis of developing best in class, highly sustainable industrial and logistics space in key strategic locations.”