£20m infrastructure works get underway to transform iconic Longbridge West Works

Work has begun on the infrastructure to transform the iconic 75-acre West Works site at West Longbridge.The £20m infrastructure investment is the next step in the £1 billion regeneration of Longbridge which will see the derelict West Works site transformed into the high quality Longbridge Business Park with 900,000 sq ft of commercial space creating up to 5,000 jobs and an attractive new residential neighbourhood of 350 homes.St. Modwen is working in partnership with the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) and the start of work follows hard on the heels an announcement in March of a £6m grant funding contribution from the WMCA to unlock the West Works scheme.Longbridge Business Park will provide a home for advanced manufacturing, high tech, research and development, health and science uses. The first phase of works is expected to be complete by the end of the year.St. Modwen is offering design and build opportunities on freehold and leasehold terms and has seen strong demand from the market over the past year. Occupiers will benefit from the established town centre amenities, beautiful green spaces, a wide range of modern homes and excellent sustainable transport links.Improvement works include a new green way along a one mile stretch of the River Rea, allowing the river to be opened up to the public via new footpaths and cycle routes connecting West Longbridge and Rubery to Longbridge town centre.West Longbridge will also feature 27 acres of open green space connected to the nearby Austin Park, in a drive to increase biodiversity and promote health and wellbeing across Longbridge.The West Works investment is the latest in a series of key milestones at Longbridge as momentum increases in 2021. It follows recent announcements including a new green heart in the town centre, public realm improvements on Longbridge Lane and a new link from Austin Park to West Longbridge along with a unique public art installation.So far St. Modwen has overseen the regeneration of around half of the wider Longbridge works which it bought in 2003. Once complete, it is expected to create up to 4,000 new homes, two million sq ft of commercial development and 10,000 jobs, transforming Longbridge into a modern, attractive environment in which to live and work.