Framework Plan for HS2 Interchange heralds £1.6bn infrastructure boost
Details of the vision to create a new urban quarter around the proposed HS2 Interchange Station in Solihull have been unveiled, with the potential for £1.6bn of infrastructure investment to be delivered over the next ten years.
The Urban Growth Company (UGC) has published its Framework Plan outlining the primary and secondary infrastructure requirements and timings to deliver sustained and coordinated growth across The Hub area including Birmingham Airport, the National Exhibition Centre, Jaguar Land Rover and Birmingham Business Park (see below).
The Framework Plan builds on the initial detail in the Hub Growth and Infrastructure Plan first published in March, which has since been updated to include the latest development plans from the NEC, Birmingham Airport and the car manufacturer.
The Framework Plan also looks at market demand for a range of suitable developments to be delivered over the next 15 years, and provides evidence to inform Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council’s Local Plan Review, which is being progressed.
It outlines five existing development areas which reflect the major land holdings within The Hub – Jaguar Land Rover’s Manufacturing Campus, International Gateway at Birmingham Airport, Pendigo Quarter at the NEC, Birmingham Business Park and the Arden Cross site, which will be home to the new HS2 Interchange Station.
It also identifies the area around the Birmingham International main line rail station as one for potential significant growth potential, underpinned by an upgrade to the existing station and greatly-improved public transport connections.
The Hub area
Nick Brown, chairman of the Urban Growth Company said the detail in the Framework Plan was critical to ensure the full potential of The Hub site was realised.
“Our Growth and Infrastructure Plan suggested that there is potential to create up to 77,000 new jobs, 775,000 sqm of commercial space, 4,000 homes and £4.1bn GVA per year. This Framework Plan sets out the details of what is needed and by when, to make that vision a reality,” he said.
“It’s about delivering the appropriate amount of high-quality, sustainable development, along with the required infrastructure to realise those full economic opportunities.
“When it comes to The Hub, the ‘whole’ has the potential to be so much greater than the sum of the parts, rather than there being a piece-meal approach resulting in lots of disconnected sites. That’s why we’ve worked closely with those stakeholders to date, and will continue to do so as the vision becomes a reality.”
The Framework also highlights the importance of five place-making principles to deliver the predicted economic growth: improved accessibility, networks of green spaces and natural waterways, high-quality and sustainable communities, innovative and temporary use of land, and a sense of place.
