Key economic benefits delivered by this development are:
Key community and environment benefits are:
Land at Junction 16, M6
Newcastle-under-Lyme
Welcome
Thank you for taking the time to find out more about our plans for Junction 16, M6.
St Modwen is promoting a strategic employment park at Junction 16 M6 through Newcastle Under Lyme Borough Council’s emerging Local Plan.
We take our community responsibilities seriously. Whilst our plans are at a very early stage of development, we want to engage with the community and stakeholders to gather feedback and refine our proposals to maximise the benefits they can provide.
This website provides information about our emerging proposals and vision for the site.
Local plan
Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council is preparing a new Local Plan as the current development plan is nearing the end of its plan period.
Councils use Local Plans to help make planning decisions and guide what the area needs and where. They also shape decisions about infrastructure, investment, and growth.
St Modwen is promoting the land at J16, M6 as a strategic employment park. This site has been identified by the Council as a potential Strategic Employment Site in the Issues and Strategic Options document published in 2021 and the First Draft Local Plan document in June 2023.
If the site is included in a future Local Plan, our proposals will still require planning permission. If we decide to progress to a planning application, there will be further consultation on the proposals and numerous opportunities to engage with us about the plans. Any future application would also be subject to consideration by the Newcastle-under-Lyme Planning Committee.
Demand and opportunity
Newcastle Under Lyme is missing out on jobs and economic growth to other authorities because it cannot meet the high demand for industrial and logistics space.
The National Picture
The UK is witnessing significant growth in the industrial and logistics sector prompted by wider trends including the increasing shift to online shopping, and supply-chain impacts associated with Brexit and COVID-19.
The Government recently published their vision to create a “freight and logistics sector that is cost-efficient, reliable, resilient, environmentally sustainable and valued by society”. The vision is called the ‘Future of Freight’ (FoF) plan and outlines that freight contributes £127 billion to our yearly economy whilst supporting £400 billion in manufacturing sales.
Additionally, the number of jobs in the sector has grown by 26% since 2010, nearly double the rate of the wider economy.
With the difficult economic environment, maximising the opportunity presented by key growth sectors, such as logistics, is even more important.
Grasping Local Opportunities
There is a particular need in the Midlands, near key existing transport routes, due to easy accessibility to all areas across the country.
Within the last five years, over forty enquiries have been made for similar units to those we are proposing across the Stoke-On-Trent and Newcastle Under Lyme area. The local area has missed out on all these opportunities because sites with the required characteristics, scale and location are currently unavailable.
The Case Study
In recent years, local and national companies have relocated to find sufficient space. For example, Pets at Homes recently closed their Trentham Lakes site in favour of larger premises 12 miles south, outside the Borough because they couldn’t find suitable space locally.
As a result around 450 people employed in the Newcastle Under Lyme area now work elsewhere, with new job opportunities further away from residents, business rates (which pay for local services) going elsewhere and retained staff having to travel further to work.
Additionally within Newcastle-under-Lyme, Overclockers decided to relocate from the Lymedale Industrial Estate to new premises outside the Borough. They had outgrown their existing building and will move into a new 100,000 sq ft building in Stoke because no such premises were available in Newcastle.
Similarly NVS, the veterinary wholesaler and laboratory service provider, are relocating from their Newcastle premises at Talke Pits out of the Borough to new premises because their requirement – for 250,000 sq ft – could not be satisfied locally.
the proposals
An interactive map is available to view on desktop and tablet devices. To open this in full screen, click here.
A NEXT GENERATION EMPLOYMENT SITE
Creating Better Futures
At every stage of a project, our buildings are designed to meet the needs of customers, minimise the impact on the environment, reduce energy consumption and improve the wellbeing of those working within them.
We embed low energy design principles into building development from concept stage and design resilient and intelligent buildings which can adapt to climate change.
We put measures in place to reduce carbon emissions over the lifecycle of a development. We embrace innovative approaches to delivering energy including embedded generation, battery storage and EV charging through Smart Grid infrastructure.
Junction 16, M6 will be no exception. The employment park at Junction 16 will be a highly sustainable development which incorporates innovative design principles to meet our net zero carbon commitments.
St. Modwen Logistics’ buildings use a range of features to reduce the carbon impact of the building, which can be seen on the following diagram:
At St. Modwen we are aiming to deliver innovative and ambitious developments that exceed the sustainability standards of today and bring forward some of the most sustainable and environmentally conscious developments. As a business we are exploring:
- Zero-Carbon Development: St Modwen is aspiring to reduce embodied carbon from each of our developments. Embodied carbon is the emissions from manufacturing, transportation and installation of building materials. The simplest way to reduce this is to change how building materials are made. At St. Modwen we are working with our supply chain to explore how we transition to using low carbon concrete, steel and cladding.
- We are also moving towards the UK’s Net Zero Carbon (NZC) Building Standard. The NZC Standard will evaluate the carbon efficiency of buildings to deemed them as a Net Zero Carbon building. This would mean that a balance between the amount of greenhouse gas produced, and the amount removed from the atmosphere has been achieved during the whole life cycle of the development.
- Self-sufficiency: St Modwen is reviewing how our sites can use Smart Grids to de-carbonise our developments and supply power within the development itself. A Smart Grid stores energy collected from clean sources such as solar panels and hydrogen. The Grid is then programmed to use energy when the building or specific rooms are in use. This provides much cleaner power to the building at the right time, reducing energy waste.
- New Technologies: Partnering with recognised research and development organisations including UK GBC and The Carbon Trust to explore next generation technologies including hydrogen, renewable fuels, Passivhaus and vehicle-to-grid charging.
- Wellbeing: Adopting WELL Building Standard principles throughout the design process to maximise the benefits to health and wellbeing of the end users of our buildings.
Benefits
Our plans will supercharge economic growth by creating jobs for local people.
About St Modwen
St. Modwen is an expert property developer with a 30-year history that operates across two business units: St. Modwen Homes and St. Modwen Logistics, both of which are active across England and South Wales.
St. Modwen Logistics’ is promoting the land at Junction 16, M6. St. Modwen Logistics manages a logistics portfolio of 10m sq ft. We create new industrial and logistics parks, manufacturing facilities and warehousing and, in the process, generate jobs and economic growth all across the country.
Working with our partners, we have a strong history of creating value for our customers and communities, and we are proud of what we have achieved. Through our developments, we are changing the norm by looking for better and lasting results and creating new and sustainable solutions that benefit all those involved.
Engagement
As a transparent and responsible business, we have launched this website to provide further information about the site and the proposals we are promoting to Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council.
We would be happy to answer any of your questions on the contact us form below:
Contact US
We understand that there is local interest about our plans. If you have questions please let us know in the comment box below:
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Stay updated
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Frequently Asked Questions
St. Modwen Logistics are proposing an employment park with additional provision of a safe, dedicated lorry park with driver amenities.
The site will help Newcastle-under-Lyme Council with meeting its employment targets within the Local Plan.
The site is south-east of Junction 16 of the M6.
The site is approximately 78ha in size and has the potential to provide approximately 2.4million sq. ft of employment accommodation, across multiple buildings ranging in size.
The site is ideally located for employment as it is situated on the M6, meaning there is easy access to the North and South. There is currently high demand for employment space in the Midlands and the proposed area is the only site within Newcastle-under-Lyme that is large enough to accommodate larger buildings in excess of 300,000 sq ft. There is also demand from industrial occupiers attracted to such a highly accessible site.
This strategic location on the M6 provides an opportunity to develop an employment site with the potential to serve as a major distribution centre, bringing many economic benefits to Newcastle-under-Lyme.
The existing layby is unsafe and will be removed. It will be replaced with a dedicated safe and secure on-site lorry park facility with significantly enhanced facilities for HGV drivers.
We are looking to accommodate large industrial and logistics enquiries where there is a real shortage of sites regionally, sub-regionally, sub-regionally and locally.
The lack of suitable sites in the local area has resulted in some lost opportunities, both in terms of inward investment and local relocations. A good example is Pets at Home who could find no site in Newcastle or Stoke to accommodate their expansion. This led them to building a unit of 700,000sq ft in Stafford.
The proposal will offer significant economic benefits to Newcastle-under-Lyme. The plans will deliver £115m – £160m of Gross Value Added per annum to the local economy, as well as £4.5m+ in collectible business rates, with the Council and its partners retaining c. £2.2million.
Newcastle-under-Lyme has the lowest employment density in the area, with only 62 jobs per 100 residents 16-64 years old. This highlights the need to provide many more local jobs.
In addition, unemployment in Newcastle-under-Lyme is still markedly higher than the pre-Covid 19 period, and the job creation will contribute to enabling more of the borough’s residents to return to work.
The jobs offered will be varied, including roles from senior management to entry level positions. There will be a large proportion of full-time jobs, as well as highly skilled employment opportunities.
The development will create around 2,500 – 3,300 new full time equivalent jobs, with 970 additional jobs set to be created through the local supply chain.
St Modwen will endeavour to deliver apprenticeship and training opportunities, and work with local education providers to ensure they benefit local people.
Narrow areas of the site associated with the northern brook are shown to experience flood events. In response to this, a preliminary assessment has been undertaken which included a targeted flood risk assessment and hydraulic modelling exercise to accurately define the baseline conditions and the extents of flood risk.
The proposed development will avoid encroachment into these flood zones to ensure that there are no off-site detrimental flood impacts. Across the whole development a drainage strategy is being developed which anticipates increased intensities of rainfall due to climate change. Allowances are made to reduce surface water flows within the site boundary which further decreases flood risk on sensitive downstream receptors.
There are no designations within the site or the immediate vicinity. In the wider area there are listed buildings, however the majority of these have no visual connection with the site. Within 2 – 3km of the site is Cranberry Moss Local Nature Reserve, and two sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) (Oakhanger Moss and Black Firs and Cranberry Moss). They would not be affected by the site due to the distance between them.
A Preliminary Landscape and Visual Appraisal has been carried out for the proposed development which looks at key views towards the site from local receptors. The undulating topography of the site and surrounding areas combined with mature vegetation restricts views into the site. Retained vegetation will be supplemented with substantial belts of new woodlands within landscape buffers to assist in the integration of the proposed built development within the wider landscape and reducing potential visual impacts. Consequently, it is considered that a high-quality development could be accommodated within the local landscape with limited adverse impact upon the wider landscape character and visual resources.
Substantial areas of open space are proposed which would deliver a range of public benefits. The development would include land dedicated to green infrastructure, creating a cohesive landscape framework that would be managed to maximise opportunities for public amenity, outdoor recreation and nature conservation. Strategic landscaping throughout the site would ensure the conservation of existing hedgerows, woodland and trees, reinforced by significant new areas for habitat creation including woodlands, scrub, species rich wildflower grass meadows and wetlands. Proposals also include the establishment of high-quality landscapes to the built development plots and surrounds.
A detailed acoustic assessment will be completed to identify any likely impact arising from noise and vibration levels associated with the development. This will inform any mitigation measures which may be required.
The site is located on Green Belt, but all efforts will be made to ensure the development’s effects on the Green Belt are minimised. This will be done through the implementation of a robust landscape strategy, to achieve a range of environmental enhancements. A key part of the proposed green infrastructure will be the creation of permanent and robust landscape buffers along the southern and eastern boundaries whilst enhancing and improving existing vegetation along the northern and western boundaries. A high-quality landscape will provide a range of public benefits including extensive areas of open space throughout the site, incorporating recreational footpath routes well linked to the existing public right of way network. In addition, opportunities to improve access to the wider Green Belt are being explored.
St Modwen is committed to working with Newcastle-under-Lyme District Council, Local Councillors and the local community to design a high-quality strategic employment site which respects and enhances its existing landscape context.
St Modwen prides itself on sustainable building practices and has a clear track record for reducing CO2 from all new developments. From design to development, St Modwen are constantly looking into ways to reduce carbon emission over the life cycle of a development. Some measures include:
- Opting for renewable energy infrastructure (such as solar panels)
- Using heat pumps and smart meters
- EV charging facilities
- Using LED lighting
- Significant landscaping and green infrastructure provision
There would be substantial areas dedicated to green infrastructure, creating a cohesive framework of public open spaces and landscape buffers, wrapping around the proposed built development and delivering a range of landscape enhancements.
Development will be focused on the areas of existing intensively managed grassland within the site. The existing wildlife corridors through the site (including stream habitat) will be largely retained, protected and linked to the proposed green infrastructure scheme. The development proposals will provide a network of wildlife enhancement incorporating retained hedgerows and other features identified as providing foraging and dispersal corridors for wildlife.
Our proposals are targeting a 10% biodiversity net gain. To achieve a biodiversity net gain, a proposal must provide measurable improvements to habitats across the site as a whole.
The main access into the development has been discussed with National Highways and the current preferred access junction is located along the A500 to the east of the existing Junction 16, M6 roundabout junction. The proposed access is a conventional all movement traffic signal-controlled junction with a right turn lane provision which will accommodate queuing vehicles wishing to access the development.
Lane widening has also been proposed within the Junction 16, M6 circulatory and the A500 west bound carriageway to increased queuing capacity at the existing roundabout. The increased queueing provisions set-out to accommodate the additional traffic flows associated with the development on approach to and around the existing junction.
This will be the only vehicular access into the site, aside from emergency access routes. Emergency access routes will only be used in the case of emergencies, and physical measures will be in place to ensure no unauthorised access via these routes.
The potential for rat running associated with the proposed development will be considered through a comprehensive Transport Assessment. In addition, a Traffic in Villages scheme will be prepared in consultation with local parish members. The scheme will look to discourage traffic using village roads as cut throughs, and helping to lower traffic speeds and improve safety by integrating highway improvement measures with key features which define the village.
Given the location of the site in relation to the strategic and local road network, we do not anticipate any additional HGV traffic from the development routing through the villages.
The Traffic in Villages scheme at Audley and Bignall End will likely include measures such as visual narrowing, priority pinch points and gateway features to lower the vehicle speeds and create a stronger definition of place. These will all be subject to local consultation and discussions with the local highway authority.
A new cycle route is being proposed as part of the transport strategy which connects the site to Audley, Bignall End and Newcastle-under-Lyme. The scheme comprises a combination of on-road and off-road facilities, with a comprehensive signing strategy. Speed reduction measures will be implemented where cyclists are accommodated in the carriageway, and a shared provision is provided to the east of Bignall End.
Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council is developing a new Local Plan and is currently consulting on the First Draft Local Plan Document. The Council will use the feedback received from their consultation to inform the next stage of the Local Plan preparation.
The site is identified in the First Draft Local Plan document as a possible strategic employment site for allocation within the Local Plan.
St. Modwen will be reviewing all feedback to the Local Plan consultation and future stages of the Local Plan to help inform our proposals.
St Modwen Logistics has not submitted a planning application for the site.
If the plans progress to a planning application, there will be further consultation on the proposals and numerous opportunities to engage about the plans. A future application would also be subject to formal consultation by Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council.
St Modwen takes its community responsibilities seriously. We are keen to begin a dialogue with residents, community groups and stakeholders to discuss our proposals and refine them to maximise the benefits they can provide.
Get in touch
You can also contact us on:
- info@stmodwen-j16.co.uk
- 0333 358 0502
- Follow us on Instagram