RESIDENTS can this week take a look at the new ‘concept masterplan’ for the regeneration of Kingshurst Village Centre before an outline planning application is submitted.
Two public drop-in sessions will take place today Tuesday February 25, 3pm – 7pm and Thursday February 27, 11.30am – 2.30pm at The Space @ Kingshurst community centre, 5 Marston Drive, Kingshurst, B37 6BD.
The concept masterplan illustrates what the long-awaited scheme on this Solihull borough post-war housing estate could look like and responds to community comments made last year.
Based on a planning brief approved in October, the masterplan aims to transform the current village centre through the creation of a new ‘High Street’ connecting Gilson Way and Overgreen Drive. It includes new family homes to meet local demand and a purpose-built GP surgery, dentist and pharmacy.
It also makes provision for new retail units anchored around a larger convenience store in the centre. The proposed layout will link up with existing community facilities, including Kingshurst Primary School, St Barnabas Church and Kingshurst Park.
Coun Ian Courts, leader of Solihull Council said: “We know that for many Kingshurst residents this has felt like a long time coming. Of all the village centres in the north of the borough this is the most complex, due to the mixed use nature and scale of the proposed scheme. However we are absolutely committed to drawing on our experiences from Smith’s Wood and Chelmund’s Cross to get this right and deliver a scheme that works for everyone.
“We have already been successful in raising around £5 million from the West Midlands Combined Authority to get the project moving. I am confident that the business case we are putting together will enable us to fully fund the scheme and I am excited about the potential of this transformative scheme for the community and businesses of Kingshurst.”
Andy Street, West Midlands mayor and chair of the West Midlands Combined Authority, said: “One of the biggest challenges we face in the West Midlands is the need to build 215,000 new homes by 2031. This council led development will help us deliver on this while keeping a sharp focus on how we can help enable the Kingshurst community to thrive.”
