Work has officially begun on the £32m Vaughan Park development, a major regeneration project in Tipton that Think Sandwell reported on back at the beginning of February.

Construction started last week on the historic 28-acre site, which lies on the A457 on land neighbouring the CAB Autos factory and Thomas Dudley foundry, just three miles from the M5.

Developers CEG have appointed Halesowen-based A&H Construction to carry out the work, which will involve flattening most of the existing industrial buildings. The first phase of the development will involve the construction of five, eight-metre-high units totalling 80,000 sq ft of space. These will come with separate yards, parking facilities, a landscaped environment, 24-hour security, CCTV and gatehouse entry.

At a ceremony to mark the start of construction work, Councillor Paul Moore, cabinet member for regeneration and economic investment, said: “There is no doubt that Sandwell offers businesses wishing to expand and grow a chance to move to an area at the forefront of industry, with established supply chains, great access to the motorway network as well as a highly skilled workforce. The investment and jobs to be created by the Vaughan Park development are very welcome and is further demonstration of Sandwell being a great place to invest.”

It is hoped that the scheme will create up to 1,000 jobs and that the new units will be ready for tenants to move into before the end of the year. Further development planned on the site will eventually create a business park with 500,000 sq ft of modern, high quality industrial and warehouse space in the heart of the Black Country.

John Maley, from A&H Construction, said: “As a local business we are proud to be involved with this formidable project. Our aim is to build on the relationships we have with the local supply chain to ensure this project is delivered as planned and exceeds expectations.”

If you think that the Vaughan Trading Estate might be the ideal home for your business, contact property agents CBRE or Bulleys for further information. To find out how Think Sandwell can help you find the perfect premises, visit our Property and Planning pages.