700,000 sq ft logistics park beside the M42 approved on appeal in 'landmark' grey belt decision

A 700,000 sq ft industrial and logistics park just north-east of Birmingham has been given the go-ahead on appeal, in what its developer calls a "landmark planning decision" for the whole sector. Government planning inspectors have approved Richborough Commercial's plans for 48 acres of land south of Junction 9 of the M42, the first major industrial and logistics development to be allowed on so-called grey belt land at appeal under the new national planning rules, Place Midlands reports.

Six warehouses beside the M42

Illustrative plans submitted with the scheme show six large units: three "Big Box" warehouses of more than 100,000 sq ft each and three "Mid Box" units of between 50,000 sq ft and 85,000 sq ft. An open parcel of land to the west would be used to create new habitat as part of the development's biodiversity net gain commitments.

Richborough submitted outline plans in June 2024, but took the decision out of North Warwickshire Borough Council's hands 18 months later, referring it to the Planning Inspectorate after what the firm described as "an extended period without any meaningful progress".

Why the inspector said yes

North Warwickshire told the inquiry it would have refused the application as inappropriate development in the Green Belt, arguing that the site played a "strong" role in checking urban sprawl.

The inspector, Richard Aston, gave only moderate weight to those arguments, finding that the site did not appear to have a "strategic role" in the Green Belt. Under national policy, he wrote, the site "should therefore be regarded as 'Grey Belt' land and it would not amount to inappropriate development within the Green Belt".

He also pointed to the need for jobs. "North Warwickshire's established role within the logistics Golden Triangle is a key economic strength that helps to address persistent unemployment and pockets of deprivation in the Borough," he wrote. "The area continues to experience socio-economic challenges and faces significant future population growth, requiring increased rates of job creation. Against this background, this proposal would support the implementation of the UK's Modern Industrial Strategy 2025."

"Real confidence"

Matt Dugdale, planning director at Richborough Commercial, said the decision "demonstrates the significance of the new NPPF for major freight and logistics development, with the Inspector finding the site to be Grey Belt and recognising an immediate need for new employment land".

"It also sends a clear message to local planning authorities about the importance of identifying and allocating well-connected sites through their local plans to meet future employment needs," he said. "While every site will turn on its own circumstances, the decision gives us real confidence in the potential for the new policy framework to support a number of other strategically located employment sites across our portfolio."

What it means for the area

The land between Birmingham, Coleshill and Tamworth sits at the heart of the country's motorway network, which is why it has long attracted distribution centres serving the whole of England. New warehouses here bring jobs in logistics, engineering, transport and management within easy reach of north and east Birmingham.

The decision also shows how the national planning framework published in August 2026, with its "grey belt" category for weaker parts of the Green Belt, is starting to shape what gets built around the city. Some residents and councils remain worried about the loss of open land, and future applications are likely to be argued site by site.

Planning documents can be viewed on North Warwickshire's planning portal under reference PAP/2024/0297.