Planning submitted for state of the art veterinary hospital at West Longbridge

Following the £20m infrastructure investment at West Longbridge in partnership with the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) earlier in 2021, the first commercial development is now being brought forward by developer St. Modwen. A planning application has been submitted to Birmingham City Council for a state of the art veterinary hospital on a brownfield site at the southern gateway to West Longbridge Business Park. When complete, West Longbridge Business Park will create up to 5,000 jobs.Creating up to 150 highly skilled jobs, the hospital will feature research, treatment, diagnostic, laboratory and administrative space and will have the latest medical equipment including CT and MRI scanners.The building is located next to spacious parkland and will benefit from access to the River Rea with its new meadow spaces and native hedgerows, with foot and cycle paths providing direct access to Longbridge Town Centre.Planning permission for the building is being sought by St. Modwen on behalf of IVC Evidensia, Europe’s leading veterinary care provider with 21,000 staff based across 12 countries, including the UK.The location at West Longbridge offers unbeatable local, regional and national connectivity. The scheme will be a high quality, sustainable addition to the wider £1 billion Longbridge masterplan.The proposal will also see regeneration of a 3 acre site that acts as a gateway for the wider West Longbridge Business Park. Subject to planning approval, construction will start on the building in 2022 with the first animals treated at the facility in 2023.West Longbridge Business Park is part of a wider regeneration of the former MG Rover West Works following a £6 million investment by the WMCA to unlock the land for development. In addition to the business park, the investment will see an attractive new residential neighbourhood of 350 homes also created.This is a key first element of West Longbridge and will become a real centrepiece for that part of the town. It also has the potential to be a real beacon of veterinary excellence in medicine and treatment.Its state of the art design and facilities will be a major draw in the veterinary sector and provide new jobs and opportunities for local people. We’re continuing discussions with other occupiers as we look to deliver more jobs in Longbridge and establish a high-quality business park.