Skip to content
SEGRO, an owner, manager and developer of warehouse and industrial space, has been confirmed as a strategic partner of the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA), with a commitment to invest £2bn over the coming decade to provide Net Zero facilities in the region.
As a strategic partner, SEGRO aims to provide 13.5 million sq ft of sustainable warehouse space across the West Midlands by the end of 2033, focused on tech-enabled logistics facilities, as well as purpose-built space for R&D and light manufacturing.
The development programme is expected to create up to 14,000 jobs across a range of employment types and industry sectors.
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 sq ft of industrial buildings and warehouses.
Running for ten years, the 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. SEGRO 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 the company’s customers.
David Sleath, chief executive at SEGRO, said: “There is a long-term shortage of modern, sustainable industrial employment space in the West Midlands, which is vital to enable the efficient movement of goods across the country, and to support high-tech research and development and manufacturing.
“By working closely with the West Midlands Combined Authority we can identify and unlock brownfield sites for development and deliver critical infrastructure that serves the whole of the UK, creating a diverse mix of local employment and supporting the creation of a more resilient economy across the country.
“SEGRO has an ambition to the best property company, and in line with this we look forward to working with West Midlands Combined Authority, local authorities, businesses, and communities in the West Midlands to accelerate our investment in the region and deliver best-in-class, next-generation warehousing.”
SEGRO’s investment into the West Midlands will support the region’s Plan for Growth – a roadmap to develop eight specific industrial clusters where the West Midlands already has a competitive advantage and its Investment Prospectus.
Andy Street, mayor of West Midlands, added: “SEGRO becoming a strategic partner is another welcome vote of confidence in our region and the investment programme they have committed to today is testament to their level of belief in a bright future ahead for the West Midlands.
“It is exactly this kind of private sector investment – combined with the public sector creating the right conditions – that will ultimately drive our prosperity in the months and years ahead.
“SEGRO’s investment programme will help regenerate long neglected areas right across our region – building just the sort of modern premises that companies need to grow – creating high-quality jobs for local people in the process.
“I look forward to SEGRO’s investment programme resulting in projects on the ground that change the lives of local people in the months and years ahead.”
