Birmingham’s manufacturing stronghold looks set to enlarge further as plans for a new development at the city’s Advanced Manufacturing Hub are agreed by the council and developers. The large, new industrial unit dubbed Apollo is the latest in a long line of investments at the site which is home to some of world’s largest manufacturing businesses.

It is hoped to bring as many as 300 new jobs to Birmingham, and will further solidify the Midlands city’s leading position in the sector. Trebor Developments has been elected by Birmingham City Council and the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) to complete the build at the dedicated economic zone, under advisement from Savills. Trebor has worked across a number of key commercial and industrial projects since its inception in 2008. The 94,500 sq ft unit is to be part-funded by Aviva Investors.

Planning has been fast-tracked thanks to its proposed unit’s position at the Advanced Manufacturing Hub. The land has pre-emptive consent for manufacturing as well as light industrial and R&D uses, significantly reducing the time associated with planning and application approval. The development at the 4.7 acre site should therefore by completed by the end of 2016. At its completion however, development will recommence as construction of a second 50,000 sq ft factory gets under way. The second unit, due for completion early next year, will house international tool manufacturer Guhring’s R&D and manufacturing facilities.

HydraForce became the first tenant of the Advanced Manufacturing Hub back in 2014, re-locating over 500 jobs to the region. The multimillion pound company is housed in a purpose-built 120,000 sq ft facility, the first of several to be built in the last two years. As one of six economic zones in the city, the Advanced Manufacturing Hub is expected to generate some 50,000 jobs when it reaches it full potential in development terms, unlocking a huge £1.5bn of investment.