RUMOURS over Solihull Council being told to fork out £100million for a multi-storey car parks at the HS2 interchange station have been played down.
Reports said the council and businesses would need to pay if they want HS2 to build multi-storey car parks around their new station – instead of occupying 22 acres for surface parking.
As well as the Interchange Station there will be more than 5,000 homes and 7,400 parking spaces in the area when the high speed rail service comes to the borough.
Plans to build 7,400 parking spaces all around the new station were included in the High Speed Rail (London – West Midlands) Act which received royal assent in 2017 and gave HS2 Ltd the powers to build the scheme.
However this week Solihull Council told The Observer multi-storey car parking is just one of the many issues it is negotiating with HS2.
A spokesperson added: “It is premature to speculate about the precise cost of any multi-storey car parking provision, especially as the total investment in the Hub is of the order of £1.6 billion.
“We will continue to work with HS2 and other partners to deliver the best outcome for the borough and the region by maximising the economic opportunity the station will provide in terms of jobs and homes.
“The exact plan for the Hub is yet to be determined and while multi-storey car parking forms part of the designs, it is just one small element in the overall negotiations with HS2, landowners and other partners.”
The Urban Growth Company (UGC) was established by the council to maximise development and investment at the HS2 station site and neighbouring land, collectively known as The Hub.
It has been working with HS2 Ltd to design new infrastructure and transport connections at the site of the Interchange Station and laying the foundations for development of the Arden Cross.
UGC managing director Jonathan Bretherton added: “As you’d expect with an overall project which will be delivered over the next twenty years, we are still at the early design stages.
“We’re exploring all options to ensure that the total infrastructure investment of £1.6bn makes a real difference to people who live and work in Solihull, or travel through the area.
“There is more work to do with all of our partners, including HS2 Ltd, before we have anything that looks like a final plan for the site.
“However, the partnership approach is working well and we’re confident that together we’ll deliver Europe’s best-connected destination for business, leisure and living.”
