AMBITIOUS plans for the wholesale transformation of Kingshurst Village Centre have taken another leap forward with the submission of a full planning application.
If approved, it will pave the way for work to begin on creating a radically transformed, high-quality and community-focused new centre at the heart of the urban village.
The planning application makes provision for up to 79 new sustainable homes, the majority of which will be social rented housing through Solihull Community Housing (SCH), as well as a new vicarage for St Barnabas’ Church.
It also shows an improved road layout linking the village centre to the surrounding area, with open green space and a wide footpath linking Kingshurst Park to the school and the heart of the development.
There are also plans for 1207m² of modern floor space for a range of retail and high street uses and a further 2,001m² for health uses and flexible community spaces, including a community café, GP, dentist, opticians and pharmacy within a ‘community wellness hub’.
The planning application is based on the updated Kingshurst Masterplan, which has already been shared with local residents and business owners.
These plans aim to build on the success of previous nearby schemes at Chelmund’s Cross and Smith’s Wood to transform the area by radically redesigning the village centre.
In another significant boost, the latest tranche of funding for the project was recently announced as part of the Chancellor’s Autumn Budget and Spending Review.
An additional £1.81million of Estates Regeneration Funding has now been allocated to the project from the Government’s Brownfield Land Release Fund.
Councillor Ian Courts, Leader of Solihull Council and portfolio holder for the economy, said the scheme was a blueprint for a high-quality new centre in Kingshurst.
“As well as improving and enhancing the physical environment it seeks to help unlock some of the huge potential economic benefits Kinghurst stands to gain from its proximity to the airport, NEC, the forthcoming HS2 Interchange Station and the rest of the UK Central hub,” he said.
“We have a once in a generation opportunity to transform this important village centre, which is why it’s so important that we have been able to take the time to really try and get this right.
“There is still a huge amount of finer detail to be confirmed at later stages of the scheme but it really feels like momentum is building now.”
The planning application will be subject to a 13-week determination period, with a decision is expected to be made by the end of February 2022.
The application and associated planning documents can be viewed on the Council’s online planning portal, using the following reference: PL/2021/03072/MAJFDW
