£1bn logistics site West Midlands Interchange appoints Winvic

West Midlands Interchange, the 734-acre Strategic Rail Freight Interchange, has chosen Northampton-based Winvic Construction as its design stage delivery partner.

The giant project will deliver more than eight million sq ft of commercial space, with units ranging from 200,000 to 1.2m sq ft, all supported by its own dedicated rail hub enabling multi-modal movement of goods around the UK.

The pre-construction services agreement role is the first of four phases of the development programme.

It is one of a number of new Strategic Rail Freight Interchange projects around the UK designed to enable occupiers to move increasing volumes of freight off the roads on to the rail network, with one rail freight carriage capable of replacing 44 to 72 HGV, and generating up to 70 per cent less carbon.

The project is being financed and delivered by Oxford Properties, the property arm of Canadian pension fund OMERS, with European developer Logistics Capital Partners.

They are already working on a 15-acre scheme at Heathrow together.

Oxford and LCP bought the WMI site next to the M6 and close to the A5 and A449, in July last year.

The scheme for the land at Gailey, Four Ashes and Calf Heath will also include 109 acres of country park and a wide range of renewable energy features.

Andy Busby, UK construction director at LCP, said: “We are pleased to welcome Winvic to the delivery team. They bring extensive experience of constructing large-scale complex logistics projects like this, and demonstrated a clear understanding of the leading approach we want to take to sustainable design, cutting edge automation, and lasting economic and social impact for the region."

James Boadle, head of logistics and residential for Europe at Oxford Properties, said: “It’s an important milestone for the project as we begin delivery in earnest, having spent Q3 and Q4 of 2021 preparing the site and building a collaborative approach with key partners including the local community, South Staffordshire District Council and Staffordshire County Council. With huge demand in the logistics market, we are keen to have a first offering ready in 2023.”

Winvic’s director of civils and infrastructure, Rob Cook, added: “We’re thrilled that Oxford Properties and LCP values Winvic’s sustainability credentials and experience in designing and constructing similar schemes, as well as our commitment to community and stakeholder collaboration. As the leading main contractor in the UK for delivering complex Strategic Rail freight Interchange (SRFI) projects, we’re able to draw on our extensive project knowledge and assemble a skilful team to meet requirements, find innovative efficiencies and ultimately deliver the design stage output in a considered and forward-thinking way.”