The redevelopment of the Vaughan Industrial Estate in Tipton that we reported on back in April this year has taken one step closer to realisation. The application by Dudley Unit Trust (London) is due to go before Sandwell Council’s planning committee this week, on Wednesday 17 August.

The proposal for the site includes the demolition of all the remaining buildings to make way for the development of around 420,000 square feet of high quality industrial buildings. The scheme would create more than 1,000 new jobs for the borough.

If the application is approved the construction phase could create more than 230 jobs, plus a further 400 jobs in the supply chain. When the development is complete the site would employ around 820 staff and could support up to 410 jobs in the wider community.

Documents filed ahead of the planning committee meeting reveal that planning officers recommend both full and outline applications for conditional approval subject to a Section 106 (S106) agreement to fund a travel plan. S106 agreements are planning obligations agreed between the local authority and the developer to mitigate the impact of a development on the local area.

Planning officers have also indicated that the main concern with the proposal is whether or not the use of the land for employment space rather than housing is acceptable. The application will be referred to full council.

An application to build a new Elite Centre for Manufacturing Skills (ECMS) immediately south east of the Vaughan Industrial Estate will also go before the planning committee on Wednesday.

The focus of the facility will be on the motor vehicle and aerospace sectors in an attempt to close the skills gap and tackle the issue of an aging workforce in the Black Country. Planning officers commented that the development would “complement” the proposed new trading estate.