Identified Benefits and Enhancements
The MSA proposals will provide a range of significant benefits for Solihull and the West Midlands. These are in addition to the road safety and welfare benefits which flow from the MSA being located in the optimum location to satisfy safety needs.
New Jobs, Business Rates and Wider Economic Resilience on the Motorway network
- At a local level the MSA will create 330 equivalent full time jobs once operational, with additional jobs created during the construction phase, through supply chain opportunities and indirectly through the spending of employees;
- Employment and Training Strategy to facilitate the employment and training of local people – this would be secured through a section 106 legal agreement;
- The MSA will contribute around £1.4 million per annum in Business Rates;
- The addition of north facing slip roads to Junction 5a will provide additional resilience to the Motorway network, and be especially beneficial for local businesses and the UKC Growth Area should Junction 6 become congested.
Wildlife and Biodiversity
One of the key factors that under-pinned the design approach for the proposed MSA was the retention of as much as possible of the existing landscape features, as well as providing new habitat and overall improved management of the wildlife ‘mosaic’. As a result the development would deliver a biodiversity net gain in the order of 40% in addition to the biodiversity enhancements delivered as part of the DCO Scheme.
The MSA proposals do not result in any loss of ancient woodland or veteran trees.
The scheme includes the following (all of which would be secured by a section 106 legal agreement):
- Extensive landscape proposals include large areas of broadleaved woodland and native tree planting;
- Provision of hedgerows;
- Creation of new species rich grassland;
- Creation of a number of new ponds;
- Long term woodland management across Aspbury’s Copse and Barber’s Coppice* ancient woodland.
*Barber’s Coppice is located offsite to the west of the site and lies in the same ownership
Heritage
The MSA development will facilitate a £5.25 million (as of November 2019) restoration of Walford Hall Farm, a Grade II* listed farmhouse and outbuildings, currently in a state of disrepair, and its conversion into commercial/office use. The building complex is not likely to benefit from an alternative form of investment. The work will be secured through a legal agreement which means that the MSA cannot open for business until the restoration is substantially complete. In essence, the MSA development will ensure the long- term future of Walford Hall Farm.
Alternative Fuels
The proposals will also include alternative fuel options, including Ionity EV ‘ultra fast’ charging’.
