New proposals to build ‘Solihull Services’ on the M42 in for planning

CONTROVERSIAL plans to build new motorway services near Birmingham Airport have been submitted to Solihull Council.

Extra MSA Group, a developer and operator of motorway service areas, has submitted the planning application for a new ’state of the art’ motorway service area (MSA) alongside the M42 between junctions 5 (Solihull town centre and Knowle) and 6 (Birmingham Airport and the NEC).

It argues that the new service area – first mooted at the end of last year – will meet a long overdue need on this part of the motorway network to support the welfare and safety of drivers, in accordance with Highways England’s design criteria and national planning policy.

But similar plans have been turned down in the past after meeting with strong opposition from residents of nearby villages, such as Catherine de Barnes, who have protested against development on greenfield land and a likely increase in traffic levels

Extra MSA Group says that following public consultation in December 2014, the layout and design of the service area has been further reviewed and numerous significant amendments made.

“The proposals are now even more sympathetic to the surrounding landscape, while maintaining a modern contemporary and commercially acceptable design,” it said.

“These amendments and associated enhancements to the overall project appropriately take into account the public consultation responses from ‘stakeholders’, local residents and other relevant entities.”  

The changes include the main buildings being repositioned in a “better location” within the overall site and designed so that they are set into the sloping landscape, and the roof would be grassed over to reduce the visual impact.   

Should it be approved, the new MSA will serve drivers travelling in both directions along the M42. New slip roads and a connecting bridge would lead to a dedicated access road, which will pass under a new bridge beneath Solihull Road. 

Extra MSA Group says this means there will be no connection with the local roads, meaning no additional traffic will be added to the local road network.

It also points out that ’Solihull Services’ will be a major new employer in the local area with around 300 new full time equivalent jobs being created. 

It is a £65m capital investment by Extra, which already owns and operates seven Extra ‘branded’ MSAs. 

Andrew Long, chief executive of Extra MSA Group, said: “These proposals reflect a new way of thinking and a new generation of motorway service areas.

“We have carefully listened to feedback from all parties involved in the public consultation and have appropriately revised our proposals in various areas to reflect their input.”