Solihull Council has named Muse as its preferred development partner to bring forward ambitious regeneration plans for the iconic Mell Square.
Working closely with the Council and other key stakeholders, Muse will help to deliver a wholesale transformation of Mell Square over the next ten years, enhancing the already successful town centre with a significantly improved retail offer, expanded night-time economy and new high-quality housing.
Solihull Council took ownership of Mell Square in April 2021 in order to support the delivery of its bold Town Centre Masterplan, which takes a wider view of upcoming developments and opportunities to ensure effective planning for the future. The Masterplan identifies and outlines several exciting development opportunities at Mell Square to enhance the current offer and visitor experience. These include bringing in new complementary uses to the area such as a residential and a more varied leisure offer.
The redevelopment will focus on:
- Attracting new restaurants, bars and retailers to complement the town centre’s existing offer and diversify its night-time economy. Delivering well-designed, flexible public spaces and routes that better connect Mell Square to the wider town centre and become a hive of activity for business, meeting and relaxing.
- Creating a mixed residential neighbourhood to increase housing choice for existing communities and attract new residents, including younger people to Solihull.
- Building high-quality, sustainable buildings that set the standard for new developments in the town centre.
Councillor Ian Courts, Leader of Solihull Council and Portfolio Holder for the Economy, said:
“Today’s announcement marks a crucial milestone in our plans to transform and reenergise the heart of our town centre.
“Solihull enjoys a well-established reputation as a vibrant, attractive and welcoming destination for high quality shopping, business and leisure. With a proven track record of attracting high quality occupiers and investment, Solihull is one of the best-performing town centres in the country. However, as retail habits and the way we use our local centres continue to change, we need to ensure what we are offering also evolves. It’s important that we plan and invest now so that Solihull town centre remains an exciting, thriving and accessible place for people to enjoy.
“As well as creating new space for high quality retailers, restaurateurs, independent businesses and providing a range of new housing right in the heart of the town centre, this scheme will also bring benefits for the wider borough in terms of investment, new jobs and training opportunities. Over time, new communities making their homes in our town centre will bring a boost to local businesses and feed our growing evening economy.
“I’m thrilled that we are forging ahead with these game-changing plans to create a town centre for future generations to live in, work in and enjoy. It’s fantastic to have Muse on board, they bring with them a wealth of experience delivering complex, mixed-use projects with a strong focus on high quality public realm, sustainability, community and quality.”
Maggie Grogan, Muse Managing Director – Midlands, said:
“We are proud to have been selected by the Council to deliver the regeneration of Mell Square and support the ambitious vision for Solihull town centre.”
“Our focus is on working in partnership with local authorities and communities to deliver quality new places. This means regeneration with people at its heart. A place which will celebrate Solihull’s heritage and help define its future.
“As we work with the Council to develop the proposals we will engage closely with the community. We want to understand what is needed in Solihull and how we can deliver a vibrant town centre for generations to come.”
The Council will now seek to enter into a Development Agreement with Muse, which will need to be approved by Cabinet. Once in place, following public consultation and subject to planning, the first phase of long-term redevelopment could get underway as early as Autumn 2025.
This initial phase will focus on the redevelopment of the vacant House of Fraser building and is unlikely to directly impact any of the businesses or retailers currently trading in Mell Square.
As the commercial landlord, Solihull Council is committed to engaging with, and supporting, all of its tenants throughout the scheme and will work with individual retailers to help them relocate within the town centre as and when it becomes necessary. This phased approach will ensure a business-as-usual trading environment in the town centre throughout the entire scheme.
To receive updates on this project as it progresses, sign up to the Council’s Stay Connected email bulletin service and select the new ‘Mell Square Redevelopment’ topic.