Improvements to the Existing Operating Procedures in Place and Very Grateful to Our Teams Who Junction 11, M42 Roundabout

COMMUNITY NEWSLETTER Winter 2020/2021

CGI of Mercia Park

CONSTRUCTION WORK Working safely PROGRESSES AT MERCIA PARK The safety, health and wellbeing of Construction work is continuing to progress at Mercia Park, our people and the communities near our sites remains our highest priority IM Properties’ major new high-quality employment park in while we develop the Mercia Park north west Leicestershire adjacent to Junction 11 of the M42, site. We are continuing to regularly and much has been achieved since our last newsletter. review all appropriate safety measures in line with Government Our team working on the project We have also begun a programme and Public Health England guidance have been doing so under stringent of highways works which will include on Covid-19. health and safety measures to constructing a new site entrance protect not just themselves but and roundabout, as well as making Winvic Construction has site-specific also the wider community. We are improvements to the existing operating procedures in place and very grateful to our teams who Junction 11, M42 roundabout. is continuing to engage with its are continuing to go out to work supply chain about its guidelines every day. But we would also like This will include a full closure of for working practices. Daily site to thank local people for your the B5493 for up to four weeks briefings ensure all employees support in enabling us to continue from Saturday 9th January 2021. strictly adhere to the recommended with the project. measures on social distancing. You can find out more details Winvic Construction, our appointed about this necessary closure contractor, has completed its including the diversion routes on initial programme of earthwork page 2 of this newsletter. excavation, drainage and the preparation of the development’s We’d like to apologise in advance Contact us main building plots. for the inconvenience and thank If you have any questions about you for your patience during these construction-related activity or The next phase of the project essential works. queries about anything you have will see some of the park’s first seen on site, you can contact the buildings begin to be constructed, If you would like to contact us or site team directly by calling as well as work to deliver site provide feedback about any aspect 01604 678 960. infrastructure including new of the development, full details are internal roads and utilities. provided below and on the back Alternatively, for non-construction page of this newsletter. related enquiries please email us on [email protected]

1 HIGHWAYS WORK

This winter marks the beginning of a We appreciate any work in the public programme of highways work which highway can be frustrating and consists of three main elements: would like to apologise in advance for any disruption – we will be getting • construction of a new site entrance through the work as quickly and as (for cars and public transport only) safely as possible. • building a new access roundabout on the B5493 • delivering improvements to the gyratory system at Junction 11, M42

Temporary closure of B5493: A444 Netherseal Acresford 9 January to 7 February 2021 Lullington

New site entrance and access roundabout A42 A444 Construction of a site entrance and a separate new roundabout on the B5493, which will be the main access for the development once it is operational, has already begun off the highway. Clifton Mercia Park J11 Campville Work within the carriageway itself that will connect the Appleby roundabout to the existing road will begin in January. No Man’s Magna Heath This will require a full closure of the B5493 in both directions for a period of up to four weeks between 9 January 2021 and Appleby 7 February 2021, although we’re expecting to be completed B5493 Parva by 30 January 2021. Seckington A444 We apologise in advance for the inconvenience, however, this will mean the team can complete Austrey the works in one go and not prolong the B5493 disruption over a period of time.

There will be two diversion routes in place, which have been approved M42 by highways authorities including Leicestershire County Council and Highways England. TAMWORTH One of these will be for local KEY: traffic, which will be via Clifton Campville, Lullington and Acresford. Road closure A5 Polesworth The route for HGVs and motorway Local traffic users will be via the M42 and A5 diversion through Tamworth. HGV diversion J10 Please find these outlined on the map:

J11 gyratory Further information about all Improvement works to the We are working with local authority future planned closures and gyratory system at Junction 11, highways teams to agree temporary diversions will be shared on M42 will also begin in Spring diversion routes. We will let local our project website. 2021, which will include partial people know further details ahead signalisation, localised widening, of work starting. Thank you for your patience and enhancements for pedestrian during these essential works. and cycle access.

2 CONSTRUCTION UPDATE

The first phase of work on site which Our construction compound has now has involved earthwork excavations been fully set up near to the A444, to preparing the development’s you may see the road sweeper main building plots has now mainly which is employed full time to keep been completed. This has also the nearby roads clean following all included creating the many ‘bunds’, deliveries to site. or mounds, that will help to screen the buildings and all of the extensive Work on the buildings themselves underground drainage. began at the end of October on DSV Group’s plot to the north east As part of the project’s landscaping of the site, near the A444. The scheme we have already started first of the steelwork for the new planting some of the thousands of trees buildings is due to start going up in A444 and shrubs that will be included across January 2021. Netherseal Acresford the development to give them a head start and help them begin to establish. Lullington We’ve also begun to install some of the acoustic fencing as another of the A42 measures we’re committed to that will A444 help manage the site’s impact.

Clifton Mercia Park J11 Campville Appleby No Man’s Magna Heath Utility works Separate to work on site, leading For further details about the phasing

Appleby independent connections provider Matrix and an indicative schedule of the B5493 Parva Networks Ltd has been continuing its connection works, please see the latest programme of utility connection works. maps and information on our website: Seckington A444 www.merciaparkconstruction.co.uk/ This involves installing a new gas main utility-works Austrey from the site along the A444 and B5493 Acresford Road into Ashby de la Zouch, and, separately, a new foul water pipe along the B4593 to Ashby Road Bridge and electricity cables to Bolebridge M42 Street in Tamworth.

TAMWORTH

In the summer we presented We’ve already recruited several A5 Polesworth our Mercia Park Employment people from the local area and Scheme (Construction Phase) and anyone interested in working at unveiled a new local Employment Mercia Park is being encouraged and Skills Partnership as part of to contact IM Properties or Winvic, J10 our commitment to supporting as well as local job centres, employment opportunities employment support providers and raising skill levels in local and colleges about training communities. opportunities linked to the site.

Approved by North West Working alongside training EMPLOYMENT Leicestershire District Council, the providers and employment Employment Scheme represents agencies within the Local Impact & SKILLS a pledge by all those involved in Area, the New Year will bring a the construction of Mercia Park to focus on realising the proposed ensure local job seekers, students on-site construction training facility and businesses can benefit from (Covid-19 restrictions permitting). its development. More details will be released on the project website in due course.

3 The Mercia Park Community Liaison Community Group (CLG) held a virtual meeting at the beginning of November to Liaison Group provide members with an update about progress on site, forthcoming project milestones and to respond to questions and comments about the development.

As a reminder, CLG members are invited to raise any issues arising of concern and discuss how communities While meetings are by invitation only, can benefit from the development, all minutes, presentations and project playing an active and constructive documents are available on our project part in the discussions that take place website: www.merciaparkconstruction. during the meetings. co.uk/community-liaison-group

MERCIA PARK COMMUNITY FUND

In September the Mercia Park To recap, grants from £2,000 to Community Fund panel met to review £5,000 will be available for a applications for the first round of 12-month project, and groups that funding, which has been set up to help are already established may apply strengthen local communities and for £3,000 towards operating support projects that can improve the costs for up to three years if they natural environment. can clearly demonstrate how the organisation will thrive in future We are pleased to confirm that 19 local years once the grant has finished. projects have since been awarded a total of £96,487. Please get in touch if you have any questions and share details with The next round is now open, with any interested local groups and the closing date for new applications organisations. on 8 February 2021. These can be made via the Leicestershire & Rutland Community Foundation, which is independently administering the fund, through its website: www.llrcommunityfoundation.org.uk/ apply-for-funds/

About Get in touch IM Properties During construction, and once the Early insight to any issues the As one of the UK’s largest privately site becomes operational, we remain community may have, will allow us owned multi-disciplined property fully committed to engaging with to respond in a timely manner. companies, we have a significant track the local community. record of sustainable development For any other questions about along the M42 corridor. If you have any questions about the project, including about the construction-related activity or Community Fund, you can In north Warwickshire we transformed queries about anything you have email us on Birch Coppice from a disused colliery seen on site, you can contact [email protected] into an award-winning business park, the team directly by calling creating over 6,000 jobs locally. 01604 678 960.

We are also the owner of Fore Business Park and Blythe Valley Park, a thriving mixed-use community set within 122 acres of parkland near For more information about the project, please visit our website: Junction 4 of the M42. www.merciaparkconstruction.co.uk