The success of Birmingham’s retail and leisure sectors in 2015 is also having a dramatic effect in its suburbs – says Sutton-based property agents, Burley Browne.
Sutton Coldfield has long been the ‘place to be’ for both national and local brands, however now it is facing tough competition from the previous secondary locations of Boldmere and Mere Green.
HSBC’s decision to quit Boldmere in the Autumn of this year has highlighted its fast-growing appeal for retail and leisure operators.
Burley Browne director David Hemming said whilst HSBC’s exit received criticism in the area, potential local and national occupiers were in touch with his agency within 24 hours of the ‘For Sale’ signs going up.
“Historically, Sutton Coldfield was the place where retailers, restaurants and bars wanted to be, because it had an affluent population and was an established leisure destination. Mere Green came second in the local ‘league table’ and Boldmere really wasn’t in demand.
“However, since then we’ve seen Mere Green stagnate after a proposed town centre scheme stalled, but Boldmere has moved up the rankings. From a national perspective, we’ve got Tesco, Sainsbury and Costa Coffee here now, and we’ve also seen some quality independent operators taking space.
”There’s also a much wider spread of ownership, certainly compared to Sutton Town Centre where two big owners control most of the land, and it can only be good for the neighbouring suburbs if Boldmere’s rise continues, which I am confident it will.”
David is also pleased that the long-delayed Mere Green scheme (now branded as Mulberry Walk) has come forward once more, with the start of site demolition work.
“I think most observers would agree that the original developer’s proposals, back in 2005-2006, were too top-heavy with apartments, but the new retail focus is ideal. The anchor tenant is an M&S Simply Food store, which is bound to increase footfall to the centre, which will benefit all the other traders,” he says.
“When Mulberry Walk comes on stream late next year, we’ll see a dynamic and very appealing economy developing across both Boldmere and Mere Green, during the day and into the evening. At the same time, restaurant demand is back along Birmingham Road, where Nandos and Quinto Lounge have opened, soon to be joined by Southern based Brewhouse and Kitchen .
“It’s very encouraging that a lot of the national retail and leisure operators, who would have seen only one possible location (Sutton) a few years back, are now much more aware of the area’s wider appeal. They come, they invest in shops, bars and restaurants and create jobs, so we see the snowball effect.”
David concludes: “There hasn’t been much talk of the feel-good factor in the suburbs recent years, it’s all been about austerity, but when I look around I do see an economy which is on the up, and that’s great news for everyone.”