Longbridge plan will continue - St Modwen
The rest of the scheme, which will take 15 years to complete, includes 2,000 new homes, parks, a new town centre for Longbridge, a technology park, industrial and commercial development, and is set to create 10,000 jobs.
Mike Murray, senior development manager at St Modwen, said: “As far as the college is concerned we are still progressing in terms of pulling the site together. We are currently out to tender on construction.
“Planning permission has been secured and the next stage is to get approval in outline from the LSC.
“At this moment everyone is still working towards the goal of getting funding and until someone tells us to stop we will keep going.”
St Modwen is rejecting fears that the recession could hold up or even threaten the future of Longbridge.
In a public show of commitment, and in a clear message to doubters, St Modwen recently held its AGM at the newly-built Longbridge Innovation Centre rather than, as usual, in London.
Mr Murray said it was important to realise that the size of the scheme – equivalent to 22 Brindleyplace developments – meant Longbridge should be seen as a long-term project which could be phased in order to respond to market conditions. There was no doubt in his mind that all the elements would be delivered.
Infrastructure work is under way, preparing for new roads and the opening up of rivers for landscaping and the new parks.
St Modwen is actively seeking occupiers for a food store and may soon bring on-stream some housing development.
Mr Murray added: “We have probably spent £25 million already, excluding land costs.
“Our commitment to Longbridge is a lot greater than people might imagine. This is our home patch, our head office is six miles away, and this matters to us because it is Birmingham.”
