Richard Parker, mayor of the West Midlands, is to invest £20m into a major redevelopment of Solihull’s Holbeche Place, formerly known as Mell Square.
The financial backing for Holbeche Place will help to bring new shops, restaurants and more than 1,600 new homes into the centre of Solihull.
The new mixed-use neighbourhood will be built in phases over the next ten years and has been described as a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reimagine the town centre.
Announcing the investment at the UKREiiF real estate show in Leeds today (20 May), the mayor said: “Too many town centres have been hollowed out over recent years and people have felt that decline. I want us to reverse that.
“Holbeche Place is exactly the kind of redevelopment our region needs – high quality homes, new businesses, safer streets and more people living in and using the town centre every day.
“This is about building back our communities. A town centre people can feel proud of. A place where working people, young families and older residents can all see a future for themselves.”
The mayor’s investment will be used to support the delivery of the first two phases of Holbeche Place which will see the construction of 346 build-to-rent homes, followed by 228 affordable homes, setting the foundations for the delivery of the wider masterplan. The homes will form a new gateway into the town centre from Warwick Road.
Inspired by Solihull’s heritage, the neighbourhood combines new homes, independent retail, food and drink, cultural activity, and public spaces.
It will be delivered by nationwide placemaker Muse, in partnership with Solihull Council, and is the latest scheme to be announced under the mayor’s election pledge to revitalise the region’s high streets. Working in partnership with local councils and developers, investment is being targeted at creating places where people feel safe and can be proud to live.
Paul Johnson, chief executive at Solihull Council, said: “Holbeche Place is a pivotal investment opportunity that will strengthen Solihull’s position as one of the UK’s most resilient and high‑performing town centres.
“Our partnership with Muse is unlocking a major development programme that brings new homes, high‑quality commercial space and a significantly enhanced public realm into the heart of the borough.”
Lisa Turley, development director at Muse, added: “Funding from the Mayor and the WMCA is already helping to kick-start the delivery of Holbeche Place, which will pick up pace in the coming months.
“Public sector backing – alongside our partnership with Solihull Council – continues to be a crucial tool to unlock long-term and complex development where it’s needed, and where it can add real value.”
Recent multi-million-pound town and city centre investments include Smithgate in Wolverhampton, Station Quarter in Telford, the Latimer residential tower scheme in Digbeth and new transport infrastructure for Dudley town centre.
The Mayor has also launched the Street Markets Catapult to help revitalise the region’s street markets with a £300,000 support package to expand the variety of stalls on offer and draw in more shoppers.
Action to help town and city centre high streets recapture their centuries old role as the beating heart of the local community has been set out in the Mayor’s Growth Plan.
