Amazon warehouse to bring 200 jobs to town
ANEW £86 million warehouse for tech retail giant Amazon has been completed – marking the end of the first phase of a £200 million industrial scheme.
The 534,000 sq ft warehouse has been built at Redditch Gateway by Birmingham development group Stoford and funded by Royal London Asset Management.
Around 200 new jobs are expected to be created at the facility over the coming months.
The new unit has a mezzanine floor and office space and lies to the north of the 78-acre site off the A4023 Coventry Highway near junction three of the M42.
Stoford is now turning its attention to the southern section of the land where it intends to build two further warehouse units, each of up to 250,000 sq ft.
Redditch Gateway has capacity for up to one million sq ft of brand new office, logistics and manufacturing accommodation when complete.
Dan Gallagher, joint managing
director of Jewellery Quarter-based Stoford, said: “With the first unit at Redditch Gateway now complete, we are working to deliver the next phase in this exciting scheme.
“Redditch Gateway is located in a prominent distribution area of the Midlands, with a skilled local labour force and excellent transport links via the national motorway network.
“There is huge pent up demand for logistics and manufacturing accommodation of this size and quality in the West Midlands and we are anticipating significant interest in the next phase.”
Gary Woodman, chief executive of Worcestershire Local Enterprise Partnership, added: “I am pleased to see the first phase of work completed at the Redditch Gateway site.
“Increasing jobs in the county is a key objective for Worcestershire and this investment from Amazon will help to bring jobs and economic benefits to the county, helping the county to bounce back from the shock of the covid pandemic.
“As part of our Plan for Growth strategy for 2040, I look forward to seeing the delivery of further phases of this project to help us achieve our vision of making Worcestershire a connected, creative, dynamic economy for all.”
Greater Birmingham and Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership awarded £1.8 million from its Local Growth Fund programme to the project.
Interim chairwoman Anita Bhalla said: “It is fantastic to see Redditch Gateway reach this latest milestone, as it demonstrates how our investments are delivering for our local people and businesses.
“It’s great to see that Amazon has already signed up to move in and we can expect further tenants in the next phase.”
Worcestershire County Council’s economic chief Cllr Marc Bayliss said: “It is great news for the county as construction is progressing well at the Redditch Gateway site and a world-renowned name such as Amazon has been named as tenants and will have a base in our county.
“It’s another clear and visual indication of the progress we have made over recent years as we continue to develop the county’s economy and bring with that substantial economic benefits.”