Westfield’s £36.5 million injection puts Midlands trams right on track
- and another reason to see Daniels Wharf as a prime office location
An unprecedented public transport partnership was sealed in July 2006 when ‘Daniels Wharf’ developer Westfield became the largest private sector contributor to the UK’s growing light railway network.
A total of £36.5 million in cash and land funding to secure the future of the Midland Metro was committed by Westfield Development Director Peter Miller at a signing ceremony in the heart of the Black Country.
The deal, the biggest of its kind for any UK light rail project, means regional transport body Centro-PTA can move forward on expanding a modern tram network to ultimately link the major sub-regional centres of Brierley Hill, West Bromwich, Walsall and Wolverhampton. Total cost of the first phase expansion to Dudley and Brierley Hill, supported by the Department for Transport, Centro-PTA and its public and private sector partners led by Westfield is expected to be £268 million.
The new route capacity means up to 4,000 passengers an hour can be carried on a fleet of sleek new trams across Centro’s 11km extension from the existing Line One at Wednesbury. In all 17 new easy-access stops, including four ‘park-and-ride’ sites, are planned along the route.
A start date of 2012 has been earmarked for the first services, which will run along parts of the existing road network – as well as re-commissioning a disused railway line. Journey times along the new extension will be just 23 minutes, with one tram running every six minutes in either direction.
“We are both delighted and proud to be playing a part in this tangible demonstration of Westfield’s commitment to this region,” said Mr Miller.
He told an audience of MPs, transport planners and local authority leaders in Dudley that the new extension, from Wednesbury to Brierley Hill, not only fits within the context of the West Midlands Local Transport Plan but acts also as a catalyst for further economic regeneration.
The new Daniels Wharf development at Brierley Hill, that will provide more than 100,000 sq ft of prime office space, will provide a huge number of jobs and the new transport infrastructure can only help to make the new offices even more attractive to potential employers and employees.
Mr Miller went on to stress the tram network’s positive environmental benefits which were a key element in the sustainable urban renaissance Westfield and all its partners were determined to deliver in the Black Country.
“The Midland Metro extension will play an integral role in facilitating the economic growth and regeneration of the Black Country. The fact that Metro delivers an unparalleled 99 per cent reliability means that we are confident the returns on our investment will certainly be considerable – and will bring real benefit to everyone living, working or travelling within the Black Country.”
Mr Miller said the extension linked shopping and business areas in Great Bridge, Dudley Port (where there are direct connections with local train services feeding into the national network) Dudley town centre, The Waterfront and the Merry Hill shopping centre (which Westfield owns and manages) and then linking directly into Brierley Hill.
He added: “More and more major European cities, such as Paris, Lyon, Dublin and Strasbourg are turning to modern trams to cut congestion and improve the environment – and the fact that we have secured the future of the Midland Metro will ensure this region has the firm foundation it deserves to secure its rightful position as a real and growing economic powerhouse.”
When completed, the new Daniels Wharf development will provide a total of 112,444 sq ft of Grade A office accommodation over two buildings – one providing 60,444 sq ft (split between five floors of office space and a 2,600 sq ft restaurant) and the second 52,000 sq ft.
The first building, No1 Daniels Wharf – which offers more than 130 car parking spaces - will sit right alongside the Dudley canal and has the advantage of being part of one of the most successful office and retail developments in the UK with other occupiers in the area including Egg plc, West Midlands Ambulance Service, HM Revenue and Customs, NHS Direct, Lloyds TSB Group plc, the Department for Work and Pensions, and the Heath Lambert Group. Adjacent to the offices will be a residential scheme of around 140 apartments.
The new office development contract is believed to be worth in the region of £25 million and the cost of office space in the new development is being advertised at £16.50 per sq ft.
The photograph shows from left to right John Woodall (Assistant Director of Economic Regeneration for Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council) and Andrew Gardner (Assistant Director for Metro Development for Centro) at the "LIVE" at Daniels Wharf Launch Event on 21st September in Brierley Hill.
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