Solihull is already a leading regional retail, leisure and office location – having recently attracted global businesses such as performance software developer sales-i and Canadian technology company CGI. It is also the long standing base for the UK HQ of Financial Services Group BNP Paribas.
Solihull Council has developed a town centre Masterplan which will provide a blueprint for future investment and development in the town centre over the next twenty years.
In response to occupier demand and investor confidence, the Masterplan identifies new key strategic development sites in the Town Centre. These offer a range of mixed use opportunities, supported by a pro-active local authority which has substantial land holdings in the area.
One of the proposed developments is a new landmark office scheme, ‘Homer Road Gateway’. This has the potential to deliver over 10,000 sq m of new Grade A office space, in a key location by Solihull Train Station.
Future plans for the town centre include phased higher density residential development, an accelerated supply of office space along with further support for the evolution of the retail, dining and leisure offer. The aim of the Masterplan is to ensure the Town centre remains and grows as a thriving location in which to live and work.
Work is already underway to support development through investment in connectivity and the public realm – with plans for a new integrated transport hub at Solihull Train Station, supporting the growth in passenger numbers – forecasted to double by 2043.
The ambitions outlined in the Masterplan are part of Solihull Council’s wider UK Central programme - delivering key infrastructure projects geared towards economic growth across the borough.
Councillor Ian Courts, Cabinet Member for Managed Growth, said:
“Our Masterplan for Solihull outlines our aims and ambitions, turning our already highly successful commercial centre into a destination that offers a strong sense of place and is highly sought after as a place to live and work.
“Homer Road Gateway is the first of a series of sites being brought forward by the Council, offering a range of partnership opportunities that will be showcased at MIPIM. It demonstrates our continued commitment to the highest standards of urban design, sustainability measures and what we expect from our forthcoming developments.”
David Tonks, International Partner, Cushman & Wakefield, added:
“Solihull is firmly established as the leading location in the M42 corridor office market. The combination of excellent public transport links, a broad range of restaurants, varied and thriving retail and modern leisure facilities in such close proximity to Birmingham Airport has enabled the town centre to attract occupiers from a diverse range of sectors all of which are able to draw from the area’s high quality labour pool.
“At a time when office occupiers are attaching increasing importance to ease of access to complementary services, the new supply of much needed high quality space on Homer Road looks certain to attract further demand from organisations seeking an accessible headquarters building at the heart of the West Midlands communications network.”
Paul Black, CEO and co-founder of Sales-i said:
“As sales-i continues to grow, so too does our need for more office space. By providing our hard-working teams in Solihull with more space and state of the art facilities, we can more easily foster creativity and further growth.”
“Solihull provides our staff with all the benefits of a big city without the hustle and bustle,” he added. “And we’re proud to be part of a community of other successful technology companies that are located outside of London. We look forward to welcoming our customers, prospects and partners to our new facility.”
Further information of the Solihull Town Centre Masterplan along with the draft document itself can be found here: http://www.solihull.gov.uk/masterplan