Reviewing the Plan for Solihull’s Future

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Reviewing the Plan for Solihull’s Future Draft Local Plan Mature Suburbs Solihull Town Centre Rural Area o Knowle, Dorridge, Bentley Heath and Hockley Heath o Catherine de Barnes, Hampton-in-Arden and Meriden o Balsall Common, Berkswell, Barston, Temple Balsall and Chadwick End o Dickens Heath, Tidbury Green, Cheswick Green and Blythe Valley Park UK Central Hub and Key Economic Assets 34. There are four UK Central (UKC) economic opportunity zones: Zone 1 – The UKC Hub which includes Birmingham Airport, National Exhibition Centre, Jaguar Land Rover, Birmingham Business Park and the site of the HS2 Interchange (known as Arden Cross) Zone 2 – North Solihull Zone 3 – Solihull Town Centre Zone 4 – Blythe Valley Park 35. These strategic assets, and their collective impact and potential for inward investment to the wider area, are known as “UK Central” – the brand and vision for unlocking their long term economic potential for the Borough as a whole; with Solihull continuing to perform its critical role as a major economic contributor to the region and to the UK as a whole. 36. From 2017 onwards construction will begin on a high speed rail station interchange in the heart of the UK Central Hub on land adjacent to the NEC. It is anticipated that HS2 will be operational from 2026, at which point the journey time from London to UK Central Hub will be less than 40 minutes. 37. The potential of UK Central, to generate further economic and employment growth for the region as a whole is on a nationally significant scale – over 100,000 jobs and £15bn GDP in the West Midlands by 2040 – jobs and growth that are critical to Solihull, its neighbours and to the rebalancing of the national economy. A strategic masterplan produced in 2013 identified that to realise this potential Solihull not only needed to enable appropriate growth of the existing strategic economic assets; but integrate HS2 within its plans and within future development. This should then be underpinned with new investment in connectivity and transport infrastructure; thus enabling wider access to the new Solihull MBC - 10 - November 2016
Reviewing the Plan for Solihull’s Future Draft Local Plan employment opportunities which would be created. Access not only for Borough residents, but across the WMCA area. 38. The WMCA Investment Prospectus 2016 recognises the once in a generation opportunity that the HS2 rail link offers to drive economic growth and prosperity, and the significance of UK Central, particularly the Hub Area around the Interchange station. Birmingham Airport 39. Birmingham Airport is the principal international gateway into the Region and has a major role in the national airport’s infrastructure. It is a key economic growth driver, particularly regarding the knowledge economy, high value-added sectors and overseas inward investment and international trade. The development of new routes to the Far East, America, India and China enabled by the main runway extension, completed in 2014, enhance the Airport’s capacity to contribute to local and regional economic growth as a key component of UKC. The HS2 Station will improve the accessibility and attractiveness of the Airport from further afield, particularly London and the South-East. National Exhibition Centre (NEC) 40. The continued success of the NEC is important to the local and regional economy and is the UK’s largest exhibition centre. The role of the NEC has evolved from its early exhibition centre beginnings in the 1970’s to become a major events, tourism and leisure venue, serving both business and leisure markets and contributing significantly to Solihull’s and the Region’s visitor economy. The opening of Resorts World (a £150 million mixed use leisure development) in 2015 is a demonstration of the evolving role that the NEC plays; and the Local Plan Review should provide a framework to allow the complex to take advantage of future opportunities. Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) 41. Jaguar Land Rover is one of the West Midlands’, and UK’s, most important businesses and a key driver of economic recovery, as an advanced manufacturing firm developing leading technologies including in low emissions vehicles. The Lode Lane plant in Solihull currently provides about 7,300 jobs and is set to increase to more than 9,000 following substantial new investment in the plant, demonstrating the company’s commitment to Solihull. 42. Part of the area beyond the north east of the existing plant has recently been developed to provide a 14ha vehicle despatch area which opened in 2015. The Council considered that there were very special circumstances for allowing this development in the Green Belt. This was to support the operational needs of this internationally significant company that needs to remain competitive in the global vehicles market in order to continue to support significant numbers of jobs in the Region that rely on the success of JLR. Solihull MBC - 11 - November 2016
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