DX scales down hub plan after village fury

The revised scheme for Essington is a third smaller than the original plan and includes a wildflower meadow for community use. It also re-routes all DX's lorries so they avoid the village.

But instead of the 400 new jobs originally projected, the latest reduced scheme would create just 150.

Villagers have campaigned against the £36 million proposal since it was first revealed, fearing an influx of lorry traffic, and the original application was rejected by South Staffordshire Council's planning committee in May.

Around 200 placard-wielding protesters lobbied the meeting to oppose DX Freight's plans for the 44-acre plot in Hobnock Road.

In the wake of the meeting, Birmingham-based developer Stoford has dramatically altered its plans to create a distribution centre and regional headquarters for DX on the the former brickworks site. It still merges existing DX sites across the Black Country but creates fewer new jobs.

Landscaping

Stoford says the revised plans have taken into account the public feedback from the previous application.

It is now proposing a single distribution centre building, with delivery vehicles and private cars accessing the centre from a new entrance off the A462 Bursnips Road. The plans also include a 12.5 acre wildflower meadow for community use, with access from Hobnock Road.

The proposed new centre has been reduced in size by approximately 30 per cent and has been moved further away from neighbouring properties. Stoford says it has also enhanced the landscaping around the edge of the site.

"We have listened to feedback from the community", said Matt Burgin, joint managing director at Stoford, who is leading the planning of the site.

"In rethinking these plans, we have designed a new scheme which addresses people's concerns. The single distribution building is now smaller, it is set away from Essington and we are allocating a significant portion of land as public open space. Our aim is to provide a solution that will satisfy both the community of Essington and DX and we hope that we have now achieved that."

If approved, approximately 700 people will work at the new development and DX is intending to create 150 new jobs in the South Staffordshire area. Stuart Godman, chief strategy officer at DX, said: "The economic benefits will be substantial through the jobs and spend that will come into the area.

"We estimate that DX will spend more than £15 million per year on salaries alone at the new Essington centre and that the benefit to the South Staffordshire economy will exceed £21m GVA per year.

"The construction of the centre will also support 150 jobs and add millions to the local economy during the build. Our investment will ripple across Essington and South Staffordshire and enables us to retain a strong presence in the area."

DX is intending to provide deliveries to the Walsall and Wolverhampton areas from the proposed Essington distribution centre. It says all its heavy goods vehicles will drive directly to and from Junction 11 of the M6, via the A462 (Bursnips Road) and will not travel through Essington.

Mr Burgin added: "DX has presented us with proposals for how their vehicles will use the distribution centre and we are confident that Essington village centre will not experience a material change in traffic volumes from the development compared to the consented use. All DX vehicles will follow prescribed roads and will route directly to the motorway, avoiding Essington completely.

" The company is also aiming to minimise the number of additional vehicles on the roads at peak times, and their flexible working policies will assist in achieving this."

Details on the new development, including the routing of DX delivery vehicles, will go on public display at an exhibition in Essington on September 8. DX and the project team will be at the event to explain and answer questions on the revised plans.

Stoford intends to submit a planning application for the revised plans to South Staffordshire Council in the autumn.

The public exhibition will be held at Essington Rugby Club from 3pm to 8.30pm on Thursday, September 8. All of the information from the event will also be available online at www.dxessington.co.uk from September 8 and the team can be contacted on dxessington@turley.co.uk and 0808 168 8296 in the interim.