Beacon Business Park - Stafford

Weston Road infrastructure work commences

Work on a new employment site in Staffordshire which could potentially create up to 2,000 jobs gets underway next week.

The Beacon Business Park extension on the A518 Weston Road in Stafford will occupy a 50 acre site. Initial work is being carried out by Staffordshire County Council’s highways team to improve infrastructure – including a new entrance and improvements to a busy junction. The site will provide mixed use land including freehold, leasehold, and design and build packages of varying sizes up to 100,000sqft.

In May this year the highways scheme, which will see a new roundabout built at the A518 junction with Blackheath Lane, received a £1.7million funding boost from the Government’s Local Pinch Point Fund. The fund is aimed at easing congestion around potential ‘bottle-necks’ and support jobs and growth.

Last April, working with the Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), the project was successful in its bid for an allocation of the Government’s Growing Places Fund. Successful projects needed to demonstrate that they will facilitate economic growth and provide returns which can be reinvested locally, in addition to attracting further private investment.

Staffordshire County Council’s cabinet member for economy and infrastructure Mark Winnington said: “It is extremely encouraging for Staffordshire people to see another business development get underway which will bring jobs and growth to our county. “Stimulating our economy and creating jobs is down to a successful package of attracting new business, supporting companies of all sizes already located here and also having quality projects which have the strength to attract investment for further growth. In addition to creating a new site for business, this project will vastly improve a junction on one of the main routes into Stafford – easing congestion and boosting the town’s connectivity.

“With work at Beacon Business Park starting, these really are exciting times. Work on the A518 should take around 30 weeks to complete and we would ask people to bear with us while the work is carried out. We are sure people appreciate the long-term benefits to our economy, job opportunities and the town’s infrastructure.”

LEP chairman Ron Dougan said: “The LEP and its partners supported this development through the Growing Places Fund process and it is great to see it get off the ground. A new employment site which could potentially create 2,000 jobs is helping us to achieve our priority target. At the same time we are seeing improved infrastructure in the county town which will aid future investment opportunities. We look forward to seeing the completion of the project and the first business on site.”

Work is due to begin next Monday, September 16. It will include the new A518/Blackheath Lane roundabout, a new link road on to the site and a new signal crossing.

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