West Midlands Interchange investment delivers £7m benefit before development is complete

More than £7 million of social value has already been generated by the West Midlands Interchange, with millions spent with regional suppliers alongside new jobs, apprenticeships and education opportunities for local people.

One of the UK's largest logistics developments is reporting significant economic and employment benefits before construction is complete, with the West Midlands Interchange (WMI) publishing its first Social Value Impact Report.

Covering the period from 2022 to 2025, the report calculates that more than £7 million of social value has been delivered across South Staffordshire, Staffordshire and Wolverhampton.

The largest contribution has come through supporting businesses and the regional economy, valued at £4.9 million.

A further £2.4 million has been attributed to employment, skills development and improved access to jobs, while £12,000 relates to initiatives supporting stronger and more resilient communities.

£4.8m directed into local supply chain

A significant element of WMI's impact has come through procurement.

Between 2022 and 2025, the development spent £4.81 million with local suppliers, helping retain a greater proportion of project expenditure within the surrounding economy.

Of that total, £2.8 million was spent with local micro, small and medium-sized businesses.

The figures illustrate the potential for major infrastructure and logistics developments to generate economic activity during construction rather than benefits arriving only once completed facilities become operational.

That principle also extends to employment.

WMI says activity associated with the development has generated 55 full-time equivalent local roles, including opportunities for people who have faced barriers to entering employment.

Apprenticeships provide route into industry

Skills and education form another substantial part of the programme.

More than 690 hours of educational sessions have been delivered in schools, colleges and universities, while the project has provided more than 500 weeks of apprenticeships and T-Level placements.

The report highlights the experience of local student Viktoriia as an example of how those programmes can translate into permanent employment.

After joining construction contractor Winvic through a T-Level placement at WMI, she secured a permanent position as a Trainee Site Engineer.

She subsequently won Student of the Year at the Department for Education's National Apprenticeship and Skills Awards.

The development has also supported community projects through volunteering, grants and the WMI Community Fund.

‘Local people and businesses benefit today’

WMI is being developed by Logistics Capital Partners and Oxford Properties Group.

James Markby, Managing Partner at Logistics Capital Partners, and William Oddie, Development Director at Oxford Properties Group, said:

“We’re incredibly proud to launch our first Social Value Impact Report and to share that WMI has already delivered more than £7 million in social value.“While the development itself will bring significant long-term investment to the region, it’s equally important that local people and businesses benefit today.”

Their comments highlight a growing expectation surrounding major infrastructure developments: economic impact is increasingly being judged not simply by the finished asset, but by what projects contribute during their design and construction.

Local procurement, apprenticeships, employment opportunities and engagement with education providers can allow investment to circulate through regional economies years before a development reaches full operation.

Up to 8,500 jobs expected

The impact could increase substantially as WMI progresses.

The development is projected to support up to 8,500 jobs over its lifetime, alongside continued investment in local supply chains, education, skills and community initiatives.

As a major logistics development, WMI is ultimately intended to create infrastructure capable of connecting large-scale warehousing and distribution activity with the wider transport network.

But its first Social Value Impact Report places the emphasis on what is happening beyond the physical construction programme.

With £4.81 million already spent with local suppliers, hundreds of weeks of training placements delivered and 55 local FTE roles generated, WMI's developers are seeking to demonstrate that the project's economic footprint is taking shape well before the development itself is finished.

And with construction continuing, the £7 million recorded between 2022 and 2025 is intended to represent the beginning of that local impact rather than its final total.