Developer SEGRO is to build 13.5 million sq ft of sustainable warehouse space across the West Midlands by the end of 2033.

The firm has been announced as a strategic partner of the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA), and is to invest £2billion over the next 10 years.

The firm will focus 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 and will contribute significantly to economic growth and ‘levelling up’ for the region – two core aims of the WMCA.

SEGRO's comprehensive programme will also support the WMCA on its ambitious programme of devolution, policy innovation and delivery.

It comes on the back of the WMCA securing a ground-breaking Deeper Devolution Deal with central government in March and the combined authority's history of working effectively with strategic partners who share its wide-ranging vision and purpose and want to invest and develop in the region.

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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.

The 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.

The 10 year programme includes plans for SEGRO to run dedicated skills and training programmes to support 5,000 local young people into employment and provide a further 1,000 apprenticeship opportunities in construction. The company also anticipates creating a dedicated industrial and logistics training and job brokerage programme which aims to help 1,500 disadvantaged residents in the region to develop the skills to secure employment with SEGRO's customers.