Once complete, the Spark site in Walsall is expected to create around 1,000 new jobs for the area

Work to transform once heavily contaminated industrial land in Walsall into a major employment development creating 1,000 new jobs is well under way.

The first units on the Spark, previously known as Phoenix 10, off Reservoir Place, are being constructed with hopes the first potential occupants will have moved in by the end of the year.

It is being delivered by Origin, which is a partnership between property developer HBD and real estate management company Feldberg Capital.

READ MORE: First year of major West Midlands project aimed at creating thousands of jobs dubbed ‘a success’

Delighted regeneration bosses welcomed the progress and said the project, along with the construction of two new railway stations in nearby Darlaston and Willenhall, represented a huge boost to the region.

The land was once home to James Bridge Copperworks but had lain empty for more than two decades after it closed in 1999.

A deal was struck between HBD, Walsall Council and Homes England to transform the 44-acre land with funding being provided by the partners as well as Black Country LEP and West Midlands Combined Authority.

A lengthy clean up operation to decontaminate the land was completed in October last year.

During the first phase of works, a 255,000 square foot building and a smaller unit of around 20,000 square foot will be built, both expected to be completed and ready for new businesses by the end of the year.

West Midlands Mayor Richard Parker said: “It will bring prosperity to Walsall and this part of the Black Country and will be part of our industrial transformation.

“I want to ensure the 1,000 jobs here go to people living and learning in the West Midlands and when we’ve got the businesses here, we will be working with them to ensure they’ve got access to the skills they need from within the Black Country and the West Midlands.

“I made the Black Country a priority because it’s been part of the region that’s been left behind for too long.

“If we’re going to make the West Midlands the best place to live and build a career and locate as business we need to make sure we’re bring more employment land back into use.

“I’m delighted we’re making really good progress with this site. It’s a very large site and it’s got a great location and turning derelict sites into productive use is one of my priorities.”

Ed Hutchinson, MD of HBD, said: “We first started looking at this site 10 years ago so to get to this point is fantastic.

“It’s a real victory for partnership between the private and public sectors. We’re really excited to now start seeing the units coming out of the ground.

“We’ve already got interest from potential occupiers of the units and I hope that we’ll be very quickly be thinking about building more soon after that.

“Phase one will be finished on site this year. We will be able to accommodate occupiers moving into the units by the end of the year and our expectation is, because it’s such a great site and it’s big on the supply in this part of the world, we’ll be quickly moving onto phase two as well.

“From a logistics point of view, it really is a prime site. You can see the M6 and we’ve got access to two junctions to get onto the M6. We think this is going to be a real success story for creating jobs for the area.”

And Councillor Adrian Andrew, deputy leader of Walsall Council, said: “It’s just an incredible feeling to see something I’ve been involved with for such a long time actually coming together and the buildings actually starting to come out of the ground.

“Regeneration like this does take a long time. You have to be patient and you have to have a vision.

“Collectively, with the council, with Homes England, Black Country LEP and latterly with the Combined Authority, that vision and ambition has been there.

“I have to pay tribute to HBD and the people they’ve got on board to deliver this in such good time and in good order to start creating that space to create jobs for the people of Walsall.

“It’s great news for the region, great news for the Black Country and it also demonstrates to the Government and to civil servants what is needed to create these sites in the Black Country.

“We need that funding for remediation and we need that understanding we need these sites cleaned up so we can deliver the growth the Government wants to deliver.”