West Midlands Interchange: Council boss co-hosted business event which hailed benefits of controversial scheme
A council boss who said his authority was opposed to the West Midlands Interchange rail depot appeared on stage at a business summit where the development was praised, it has emerged.
Councillor Mark Winnington, cabinet member for economic growth at Staffordshire County Council, said the authority “did not approve of this proposal” due to its impact on the green belt after it was given the go-ahead by ministers last week.
But footage of Councillor Winnington co-hosting an event where the West Midlands Interchange, to be built on land the size of 430 football pitches at Gailey, was cited as an economic game changer for the region has since emerged.
The county council has consistently said it does not support the Interchange, which sparked a backlash locally, but that it was powerless to prevent it as the Government had the final say.
At the 2018 summit on the ‘M54 Wolverhampton, Staffordshire High-Growth Zone’, Councillor Winnington spoke alongside Wolverhampton Council chief executive Tim Johnson, with the latter talking in glowing terms about the rail depot.Mr Johnson also told those in attendance that it would be approved by the Government. The Staffordshire economy chief said the two councils were “working together” on the High-Growth Zone, of which the Interchange forms a key part.
Campaigning
Councillor Winnington did not address the Interchange directly but said of the High-Growth Zone: “The M54 Wolverhampton High-Growth Scheme is, we think, of national significance. We’ve got productivity, we’ve got the growth going on at the moment. We believe this will be of interest to the logistics area and manufacturing and, of course, the supply chain we are depending on at the moment in terms of firms like Jaguar Land Rover.
"As I’ve said before, we’re perfectly placed in the middle of the UK, we are going through an industrial renaissance, we’re looking at the digital sector and the skills sector to make sure the workforce in the future is fit for purpose.”
Villagers in South Staffordshire have been campaigning against the Interchange since plans were first announced in 2016. The county council has vowed to do everything it can to mitigate the impact of the development and secure compensation for residents.
When approached by the Express & Star, Councillor Winnington said the authority’s position on the Interchange had been “clear”.
He said: “The M54 High Growth Zone includes a number of key business sites, notably i54 South Staffordshire and Four Ashes Business Park which benefit from the connectivity provided by the M54, M6 and A449. These are established sites which have attracted high value businesses in recent years due to their numerous benefits.
“At the county council we have been clear on our position regarding the West Midlands Interchange from the outset – that is that we did not approve of the proposal due to its location in the South Staffordshire green belt. We were a consultee on the plans and have worked from the beginning to ensure Four Ashes Ltd does everything it can to mitigate its impact on local communities.
“Our priority remains on ensuring there is maximum mitigation and appropriate compensation to those affected.”
