Draft Submission Plan (Regulation 19)

UK Central Solihull Comment

The Area Now

771.The area known as the UK Central Hub is a significant contributor to the wider West Midlands economy and a transport hub for the Midlands Engine. The Hub is focussed on the main economic assets located around junction 6 of the M42. The principal elements are as follows: Comment

• Arden Cross Land including the site of the HS2 interchange
• Birmingham Airport
• The NEC
• Jaguar Land Rover
• Birmingham Business Park

772.The Hub forms part of the wider UK Central Solihull concept which comprises of four interconnected economic opportunity zones. Together with the UK Central Hub which makes up Zone 1 the UK Central also includes: Zone 2 – North Solihull, Zone 3 – Solihull Town Centre and Zone 4 – Blythe Valley Business Park Comment

HS2 Interchange – Arden Cross

773.The triangular shaped site that is to accommodate the HS2 Interchange station is currently a largely open parcel of land bounded by the M42, A45 and A452. Comment

774.Construction of HS2 has commenced in the Borough and the HS2 Interchange station will be in the heart of the UK Central Hub on land adjacent to the NEC. It is forecast that the first trains to run on the route will be between 2036 and 2039, at which point the journey time from London to Interchange at the UK Central Hub will be 38 minutes. Comment

775.The WMCA Investment Prospectus 2020 and HS2 Connectivity Package recognise the opportunity that the HS2 rail link offers to drive economic growth and prosperity, and the significance of UK Central, particularly the Hub Area around the Interchange station. The area is identified as regionally significant in the WMCA Futures Green Paper (2024) and in the West Midlands Strategic Growth Plan (2025) the UK Central Gateway is identified as a key corridor for economic growth connecting East Birmingham to the UK Central Hub as discussed in the economy chapter of this Plan. Comment

776.Alongside the economic benefits the development of the hub is an opportunity as part of the wider UK Central proposals to improve links with the surrounding area in particular North Solihull with the prospect for improved access to employment. Comment

Birmingham Airport

777.Birmingham Airport is the principal international gateway into the Region and has a major role in the national airport infrastructure. It is a key economic growth driver, particularly regarding the knowledge economy, high value-added sectors and overseas inward investment and international trade. The development of new long-haul routes enabled by the main runway extension, completed in 2014, enhance the Airport’s capacity to contribute to local and regional economic growth as a key component of UKC. The HS2 Station will improve the accessibility and attractiveness of the Airport from further afield, particularly London and the South-East. Comment

National Exhibition Centre (NEC)

778.The continued success of the NEC is important to the local and regional economy and is the UK’s largest exhibition centre. The role of the NEC has evolved from its early exhibition centre beginnings in the 1970’s to become a major events, tourism and leisure venue, serving both business and leisure markets and contributing significantly to Solihull’s and the Region’s visitor economy. The opening of Resorts World (a £150 million mixed use leisure development) in 2015 demonstrated the evolving role that the NEC plays. Comment

779.The NEC have set out evolving proposals for future employment-led economic growth at the site. The Local Plan provides a framework to allow the NEC to take advantage of future opportunities and continue to evolve. Comment

Jaguar Land Rover (JLR)

780.Jaguar Land Rover is one of the West Midlands’, and UK’s, most important businesses, as an advanced manufacturing firm developing leading technologies including in low emissions vehicles. Comment

781.Part of the area beyond the northeast of the existing plant has been developed to provide a 14ha vehicle despatch area which opened in 2015. The Council considered that there were very special circumstances for allowing this development in the Green Belt. This was to support the operational needs of this internationally significant company that needs to remain competitive in the global vehicles market in order to continue to support significant numbers of jobs in the Region that rely on the success of JLR. In 2021 a large scale (over 90,000 sqm) development for JLR was opened. It is a major logistics and warehousing facility used to support vehicle production. Comment

Birmingham and Blythe Valley Business Parks

782.Birmingham and Blythe Valley Business Parks have successfully attracted new investment to Solihull and the Region in accordance with their original role of helping to modernise and diversify the Region’s economy by attracting knowledge-based employment and combatting decline in the Region’s manufacturing base. Birmingham Business Park is well placed near Birmingham Airport and the NEC to encourage new growth and investment. Blythe Valley Business Park is competitive with the south-east and M40 corridor and is capable of developing new facilities to promote and support innovation and entrepreneurism. Comment

783.These two high quality, managed business parks have a key role in Solihull’s success in attracting business investment in high value-added sectors including ICT, business and professional services, creative industries, construction and engineering. It is important that these high-quality sites continue to attract knowledge economy investment to Solihull and the Region, thereby underpinning economic recovery and growth. This includes further realising the potential of Blythe Valley Business Park as a location for innovation uses and new enterprise. There is also potential for Birmingham Business Park to play a greater role in linking investment and employment opportunities to the North Solihull area. Comment

To reinvigorate these sites, the range of acceptable uses on them was broadened under the 2013 Solihull Local Plan in response to changed market conditions. There is growing competition from town and city centre locations as occupiers realise the benefits to employees of access to a range of facilities and to public transport. Better facilities will be needed if they are to continue to secure appropriate investment. Comment

The Area in the Future

784.It is anticipated that the UK Central Hub Area will make a significant contribution towards the delivery of homes and economic development in the Borough during the plan period and beyond. The extension of high-speed rail to the West Midlands will be significant, reducing journey times to London to 38 minutes and enhancing existing connectivity provided via Birmingham Airport and via the region’s extensive road and motorway network. As the site of the first high speed station outside London, the Hub Area is uniquely placed to capture these benefits. Comment

785.The Hub Area is therefore a unique site with the potential to deliver major growth on a nationally significant scale both to meet the economic growth aims of the Borough as well as the wider growth aspirations of the West Midlands Combined Authority. Comment

786.It is clear that co-ordinating the development ambitions of all stakeholders and delivering a range of growth opportunities will provide multiple benefits for the Borough and wider area including: Comment

• The delivery of a significant amount of jobs
• A greater range and choice of new homes for The Hub, Solihull and the wider Housing Market Area
• New and unique forms of high-quality development
• The creation of healthy neighbourhoods
• Joined up green infrastructure
• The delivery of strategic infrastructure

What is required for the settlement in the future

787.Coordinated approach - The delivery of the Hub area is complex and a coordinated approach by all stakeholders is necessary. The Council have therefore been working closely with all key stakeholders including: Birmingham City Council, the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA), Arden Cross Limited, the NEC, Birmingham Airport, Jaguar Land Rover, Birmingham Business Park, Highways England, relevant utilities companies and HS2 Ltd. Comment

788.A UK Central Hub Growth and Infrastructure Plan (January 2018) and Framework Plan (February 2018) was prepared to align the growth aspirations of all these key stakeholders and provide an overall view of how development and infrastructure can be delivered across the Local Plan period. A primary focus of this is to ensure that constraints to development such as crucial infrastructure requirements are addressed in the early stages to ensure the high economic growth aspirations of the site can be delivered. Comment

789.In terms of delivering the vision and objectives for the site and address the key challenges the Hub framework is based on five key place making principles. These have been designed to guide a common approach to development across the site: Comment

• Improve accessibility
• Establish a high quality green and blue network
• Create sustainable, high-quality communities
• Leverage land with temporary uses
• Generate a clear sense of place

790.Development Principles - It is important that there is an overall place making vision for the Hub based on a clear set of development principles to support the creation of a sustainable high-quality environment and to ensure the necessary infrastructure is in place to deliver and support growth aspirations for the site. Comment

791.The Arden Cross Masterplan (2020) set out a comprehensive set of principles for delivering the vision and development of the Arden Cross site. These will be key in supporting the development of the Hub Area. Muse Ltd have been appointed as the development partner for Arden Cross and are undertaking further work to develop the vision and masterplan for the site. Comment

792.Transport Infrastructure - A significant amount of transport infrastructure will be required to assist in the delivery of the site. Primary road infrastructure upgrades are already being pursued including changes to Junction 4 of the M6, Junction 6 and the opening of a new Junction 5A of the M42, providing links to the site in preparation for the implementation of HS2. As an example of collaborate planning and delivery, the Roundabout-over-the-Trace, which provides the main access into Arden Cross and the HS2 Interchange Station, has already been designed and constructed to accommodate development at Arden Cross beyond what would be required to service HS2 only. Led by the Council, in partnership with HS2 and DfT, West Midlands Combined Authority funded the creation of this critical additional capacity. Comment

793.HS2 will be providing an Automated People Mover (APM) connecting the interchange station with the NEC, Birmingham International Station and Birmingham Airport. A Metro tram route is proposed from Birmingham City Centre through East Birmingham and North Solihull to the UK Central Hub. Comment

794.Social and community infrastructure – It is important that the full range of facilities necessary to support the creation of a high-quality sustainable community at The Hub are provided. These include healthcare and education facilities to serve residents of The Hub but also the potential to capture the wider benefits of the scheme by enhancements to infrastructure serving the wider community. This also includes improving access to jobs and working towards improving the skills base. During the plan period it is expected that a new primary school will be required to serve the new community. It is recognised that growth will continue beyond the plan period and additional social and community infrastructure will be needed, which could include a new secondary school depending on the scale (and composition) of residential development in the long term. Comment

795.Green and blue infrastructure – It is proposed that a network of green and blue infrastructure will be integrated throughout the development with the intention to provide a high-quality sense of place. The provision of Green Infrastructure is a particularly important element as it will allow existing features to not only be retained but enhanced as part of an integrated approach. Comment

Proposed approach

796.The Green Belt boundary will need to be amended to accommodate the land at Arden Cross (140 hectares) and in order to deliver wider development at The Hub. This will facilitate the delivery of the site alongside development at the NEC which is already outside the Green Belt. Comment

797.The UK Central Hub proposals are site specific as they are dependent on the delivery of HS2 and the Interchange station and will assist in delivering the needs of key economic assets supporting the local and regional economy. The land is bounded by main roads that provide strong defensible Green Belt boundaries. The exceptional circumstances set out in Policy SMBC/UK1 for releasing the Arden Cross Land from the Green Belt are therefore justified. Comment

798.The delivery of The Hub site is complex, and the Local Plan may also need to take forward other relevant elements of the wider proposals being developed by key stakeholders to realise development. Land at Damson Parkway will also need to be released from the Green Belt in order to allow development to meet local and strategic employment need and potential ancillary development to meet the future expansion of Birmingham Airport or JLR. Comment

799.It is anticipated that HS2 will be operational between Birmingham and London between 2036 to 2039. It is expected that land around the HS2 interchange station will be available from 2030 therefore detailed planning and delivery preparation can be undertaken ahead of this on the first phase of the development. Given the timescales it will be necessary for the Local Plan to retain a degree of flexibility in dealing with the site to take account of the emerging plans. Comment

800.The site will have wide implications in terms of economic growth serving a large geographical area across the Borough’s administrative boundaries. The Council will continue to engage with neighbouring authorities as well as other local authorities across the region as the proposals go forward to understand the impact. Given the nature of the proposal, it is important that this is maintained as a fluid process and reflects the importance of ongoing engagement and collaborative working as part of the Duty to Cooperate. The Council is engaging with WMCA and neighbouring authorities on the preparation of the SDS. Comment

801.In bringing forward development at The Hub regard will also be given to proposals affecting the wider site noted in the following paragraphs. Comment

802.National Exhibition Centre (NEC) – Work undertaken by the NEC since the previous Local Plan Review examination has identified potential for employment led development including an Industrial and Logistics Hub utilising car parking and underused land to the North of the site. This is a shift away from the position in the 2020 plan that was seeking a residential led masterplan^[60]. The Local Plan will need to be flexible to respond to future growth aspirations of the NEC. Comment

803.Jaguar Land Rover expansion – Land at Damson Parkway is being removed from the Green Belt to accommodate employment development (see Policy SMBC/UK2). This also reflects the historic position whereby development to support the operational requirements of JLR have already taken place in the Green Belt through developments (for example the despatch area and Logistics Operation Centre) that were approved under very special circumstances. If further additional space is required, then this would be an appropriate use under Policy SMBC/UK2. Comment

804.Birmingham Business Park – The Park already occupies an important role as a prime employment location. It is important that the wider proposal for The Hub builds upon this. Comment

805.Birmingham Airport Masterplan (2018)– The masterplan (published pre-Covid 19) for the airport predicts growth in passenger numbers per year from 13 million in 2018 to 18 million in 2033 and considers the potential for and implications of higher growth levels to 24 million. It is framed in the context of the national policy to make best use of the existing extended runway. It sets out plans for £500 million of new investment to expand the terminal building, increase the number of aircraft stands, extend ancillary facilities and interconnect with HS2. It highlights a need for more land for ancillary facilities beyond the existing Airport area and identifies land near Elmdon and JLR, which includes land allocated for employment development at Damson Parkway. This is in the context of maximising the benefits of HS2 and the wider proposals for UK Central Solihull. The allocation of UK2 allows flexibility to respond to these potential needs in the future. Comment

806.Work is being undertaken by the Airport to publish an updated Masterplan, this is expected to be published in 2026. Comment

807.This land release is driven by the location of the HS2 Interchange station and the potential this gives to make efficient use of the land. The release of this c140ha site from the Green Belt to accommodate the HS2 Interchange and mixed-use development is not to simply serve local needs but is part of the contribution the Borough is making to the wider West Midlands area that will benefit economically from this important infrastructure provision. The ability to provide residential development as part of a mixed-use development remains an important component. Comment

808.The first release of land is expected in 2030. Therefore, at this stage it is considered prudent to continue to acknowledge that the residential component of the development will not be completed within the plan period, and for land supply purposes a total of 1,600 is considered a reasonable expectation within the plan period, and this would be in the later years. Comment

809.The site lies in a lower performing parcel in the Green Belt Assessment. Significant development is proposed for the HS2 rail interchange station and supporting infrastructure, which will substantially reduce the contribution of this land to Green Belt purposes. The site is in an area that has low capacity to accommodate change in the Landscape Character Assessment. Comment

810.The Heritage Impact Assessment identifies the potential to cause significant harm to the setting of Park Farmhouse, and harm to the setting of Packington Hall and Park. To mitigate this planting should be used to enhance key views to and from Park Farmhouse, and the telecommunications mast should be located so that it does not impinge on the key view from the Pleasure Grounds in Packington Park towards Park Farmhouse. In addition, a comprehensive Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment should be undertaken to establish a formal views analysis between Packington Park and Site UK1, to inform final development proposals. A suitable use for Park Farmhouse should be identified, which could include interpretation of its interest and significance. Comment

811.This is an employment-led land release of 94ha which will provide additional employment land to meet local and strategic employment land needs. It already accommodates JLR (and JLR related) activities and ancillary development. It has the potential to provide an additional 57.5 ha (gross) (40 ha (net)) of space that could be used for local employment needs and/or any additional requirements that may be identified by Birmingham Airport and/or JLR. Comment

812.The release of the site from the Green Belt will therefore meet local and strategic employment land demand and needs associated with the key economic assets within the UK Central Solihull Hub Area. Comment

813.This allocation allows land for ancillary facilities if required to support the growth of Birmingham Airport. The Council would expect any proposals to demonstrate the most efficient and effective use of land and that these would support the economic growth of the Borough and wider region. The Airport is undertaking work on a new masterplan expected to be published in 2026, it is expected that any ancillary facilities would be identified and justified as part of this work. Comment

814.The importance of this site is recognised in the Government’s designation of Growth Zones (including both UK1 and UK2) which allows the Council to retain 100% of the growth in business rates for a period 25 years. Growth Zones have been designated specifically to support economic growth by allowing areas to retain business rate growth that would otherwise be shared with central government. Comment

815.The parcel to the east of Damson Parkway is considered to make a moderate contribution to the purposes of the Green Belt and to the west a weak contribution. Both parcels could be potential grey belt whilst noting the existence of constraints including ancient woodland, SSSI and flood risk. Both parcels have been affected by development by JLR permitted under very special circumstances, so their contribution to Green Belt purposes is reduced. The site is in an area that has low capacity to accommodate change in the Landscape Character Assessment. Comment

816.The removal of this area of land from the Green Belt is being pursued to reflect (a) the historic position to date that has allowed development in the Green Belt under very special circumstances (principally to benefit the operational requirements of JLR), (b) to allow for any additional requirements for either the airport or JLR and (c) to provide additional employment land to meet local employment needs. Comment

817.The exceptional circumstances to justify this approach are thus as follows: Comment

• The need for additional employment land to meet local and/or strategic needs as set out in the HEDNA 2026 and the lack of suitable alternatives outside the Green Belt;
• Jaguar Land Rover is a major international business and one of the largest employers in the West Midlands, whose continued growth and success are of vital importance to the local and regional economy. The Lode Lane plant is severely constrained by surrounding residential areas, Elmdon Park and local nature reserves, and the only realistic option for expansion and redevelopment is to the east on Green Belt land;
• The first phase of development at UK2 has been built, including 14.5ha for a JLR despatch facility, a 98,000 sqm logistics operations centre and infrastructure required to deliver UK2 including realignment to Damson Parkway. This was justified with very special circumstances;
• The land makes only a weak contribution overall to Green Belt purposes and could be considered as potential grey belt in the Solihull Strategic Green Belt Assessment (2026).

818.The creation of a logical and defensible boundary to the Green Belt beyond Damson Parkway/Old Damson Lane that acknowledges the development that has taken place in the area and the area of land taken out of the Green Belt to accommodate the gypsy and traveller site. Comment

819.Development on the site will need to take into account the Castle Hill Meadows Local Wildlife site and other constraints which will affect the developable area. Comment