05/06/2026
Karen’s Column - Friday 5 June
Some good news this week – we have been given confirmation that the first plots of land around the HS2 interchange station will be available for development from 2030. We’ve been pushing for a long time for this confirmation, going back to before I took over as leader, so I’m really pleased we can finally put some timescales on the exciting Arden Cross development.
We will work with our partners on a masterplan which will contain all the details. We already know that this site will be home to thousands of new homes in a well-connected location, with the major new station and the airport close by. It will also lead to the creation of thousands of good quality jobs, particularly at the HealthTech campus, which will be a hub for research and development to improve healthcare.
There’s still a lot of work to be done of course, but this will be great for our economy in Solihull and for the whole of the West Midlands region, bringing good quality housing in the right place and the jobs and infrastructure to go with it. We’ll keep you updated with developments on this, and we’re determined to make the most of the opportunity for our borough.
More exciting news about investment in Solihull, and specifically Chelmsley Wood, as we move forward with the Pride in Place scheme which will bring £20m of government funding to the area across the next ten years. Reverend Neil Roberts BEM has been appointed to chair the Neighbourhood Board which will oversee where that money goes. We’re now looking for people to join him on the board. They need to live or work in Chelmsley Wood and have a strong commitment to improving the lives of local people, but they don’t need any particular experience. This is the great thing about Pride in Place – local people are at the heart of it, making decisions about what is best for their own community. Put yourself forward if you’re passionate about making a difference in Chelmsley Wood.
Last week, we announced details of a new weekly food waste recycling collection which will begin in October. The average UK family throws away up to £1,000-worth of edible food each year. This new service gives everyone the chance to cut down on the amount of food thrown away, save money, and contribute to a cleaner, greener Solihull. As residents will be recycling more and putting less waste into their rubbish bin, most households will have their rubbish collected fortnightly instead of weekly too. We’ll be delivering leaflets to residents on the changes in the coming months. You can also read our media release and website for more information, alongside details of upcoming information events across the borough.
Finally, we’re celebrating a record year for The Core Theatre as the 12 months since it reopened saw over 60,000 people come to a show. This is great news and I think it shows just how much people missed The Core when it was closed for essential maintenance. I’m also proud of the fact that the performances which shifted to Artrix in Bromsgrove helped bring that theatre back to life, so when one theatre closed for a while, two reopened afterwards. That’s a great thing for our residents and those in Bromsgrove. If you’ve not been down to The Core since it reopened, there’s a bumper year ahead so let’s see if we can break that record again!
Thanks for reading,
Karen
