Solihull Council has formally approved the second phase of the Holbeche Place regeneration scheme, confirming plans for 228 affordable homes on the site of the former Mell Square shopping centre.
The decision, granted this week, follows a planning officer’s report that had recommended the scheme for approval ahead of Wednesday’s committee meeting.
The homes will be delivered by Habiko, a joint venture between Pension Insurance Corporation (PIC), Muse and Homes England set up to fund and build low-carbon, affordable rental housing across England. Solihull marks Habiko’s first scheme in the West Midlands, and its third confirmed site nationally after earlier projects in Chester and Warrington.
All 228 homes (a mix of one- and two-bedroom apartments) will be offered as affordable housing for rent, with rents set at 20% below local market rates. The scheme has been designed by architect Howells, drawing on the style of late-Victorian mansion blocks, and will include landscaped communal gardens, cycle storage, EV charging provision and ground-floor retail space.
The development forms the second phase of the wider Holbeche Place masterplan, which secured hybrid planning permission in February and is expected to deliver up to 1,600 homes in total, together with new shops, cafés, restaurants and public spaces, over the next decade. The first phase, comprising 346 build-to-rent homes across four buildings, is already under way, with contractor GRAHAM appointed in April and demolition and enabling works due to begin this summer.
Holbeche Place sits close to Solihull railway station, Birmingham International and the planned HS2 Interchange station, with the scheme intended to support a more walkable, well-connected town centre.
Lisa Turley, development director at Muse, said securing Habiko’s first West Midlands homes marked an important step for the wider Holbeche Place masterplan, adding that the development would help meet local demand for affordable housing in a well-connected location.
Councillor Karen Grinsell, leader of Solihull Council, called the approval a further milestone for the regeneration project, saying the affordable homes would help create a thriving new community while supporting the town centre’s long-term future. She said:
“The wider development will create new public spaces, retail opportunities and investment that will benefit residents, businesses and visitors alike.
“The delivery of high-quality affordable homes through Phase 2 will help to create a thriving new community while supporting our ambition to meet housing need and strengthen the town centre for future generations.”
The Holbeche Place masterplan is being brought forward by Muse in partnership with Solihull Council, following the council’s acquisition of the site from former owner IM Properties in 2021.
