Detailed plans for the second phase of the Holbeche Place development in Solihull town centre are set to go before councillors this week, with planning officers recommending the scheme for approval.
The proposals would deliver 228 new homes, a mix of 91 one-bedroom and 137 two-bedroom apartments, together with two units of ground-floor retail space, on the site formerly known as Mell Square.
Holbeche Place is being brought forward by placemaker Muse in partnership with Solihull Council. The wider masterplan for the site provides for up to 1,600 homes in total, alongside shops, cafés, bars and restaurants, to be delivered in phases over the next decade.
Muse secured hybrid planning permission for the regeneration of Mell Square earlier this year, when the council’s planning committee unanimously backed the scheme in February. That consent covered detailed plans for the first phase and outline parameters for the rest of the masterplan.
A report prepared for this week’s planning committee meeting recommends approval of the second-phase reserved matters application. It states that careful consideration has been given to ensuring the proposals align with the design principles agreed under the earlier hybrid application, including the associated design code and illustrative masterplan meant to guide later phases.
The report concludes that the residential-led scheme meets the ambition for a sustainable, green and inclusive place that puts people at the heart of the redevelopment, and says the retail units offer scope to support the local economy and boost footfall in the town centre.
Work is already under way on the project’s first phase, which will deliver 346 build-to-rent homes across four buildings of varying heights, plus ground-floor commercial and amenity space. Contractor GRAHAM was appointed in April to take that phase forward, with demolition and enabling works, including clearance of the former Mell Square multi-storey car park, expected to get going this summer.
The redevelopment has also attracted significant public investment, with the West Midlands Combined Authority confirming £20m of remediation funding for the site earlier this year to help kick-start delivery of the first two phases.
If approved, the second phase would mark a further step in transforming the 1960s-era shopping precinct into a mixed-use neighbourhood combining new homes, independent retail, food and drink, culture and public green space.
