ADVANTAGE West Midlands has received the green light to start building work on Bromsgrove Technology Park.

The district council approval means that work to put roads and services in to the 23-acre site can now begin.

Bromsgrove Technology Park is one of the flagship projects in the Central Technology Belt and is the first site under the scheme to have gained planning approval to begin construction.

The park is aimed at creating a community of fims that all use technology as an central part of their business.

It is hoped a mixture of established and start-up companies will be attracted to it and about 350 jobs will be created.

Work is set to finish by next summer and plots, ranging from a quarter of an acre to five acres, are being marketed. The idea of West Midlands technology was born out of the Rover Task Force. said John Edwards, chief executive at Advantage West Midlands.

"We know that around 600 former Rover employees live in the Bromsgrove area so this is especially good news in the longer-term for employment prospects in the area."

Alan Folwell Chief Executive of the Central Technology Belt said "A priority for the Central Technology Belt is to drive diversification of our manufacturing base.

"This new Technology Park will provide exactly the right kind of accommodation for these new knowledge-based businesses and is therefore crucial in helping achieve our aims."