Work starts on final stage of factory site revamp

The redevelopment of a former car manufacturing plant has reached a "pivotal moment" as work has started on the final phase of the project.

Part of the MG Rover site in Longbridge, Birmingham, will be transformed into an employment hub with 13 industrial units, creating up to 590 full-time jobs.

Developer Indurent said workers commenced construction on the last stage of the scheme, called Indurent Park Longbridge, in May.

The MG Rover plant was once the biggest car factory in Europe, and was at the heart of Birmingham's economy for decades, employing 25,000 people at its peak before it was shut down in 2005.

Since the factory's demolition some years later, the site has become one of the largest regeneration projects in the UK, costing about £1bn.

Indurent said £30m had been invested in its employment hub, which would support jobs, skills development and long-term economic growth.

Jess Evans, Indurent's planning director, said: "Breaking ground at Indurent Park Longbridge represents a pivotal moment in the transformation of this site.

"We are proud to be bringing forward a modern, sustainable employment hub that will attract high-growth industries and create hundreds of skilled jobs in the region."

Richard Parker, mayor of the West Midlands, said the development was "another milestone" in the regeneration of the "once iconic site".

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations.

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