Audiences at MIPIM 2016 have been the first to see plans for Arden Cross, a landmark development site identified as the location for the High Speed Rail Interchange Station.
The best connected strategic development site in the UK, Arden Cross covers some 350 acres (140 hectares) and will provide exceptional access to both national and international locations through its position adjacent to Birmingham Airport, Birmingham International Railway Station and the national motorway network.
Masterplanned for the delivery of truly mixed-use development, the site can accommodate up to 2.65 million sq ft (246,000 sq m) of high quality commercial space suitable for domestic and overseas occupiers, more than 2,000 new homes and a combination of complementary retail and leisure amenities, all set around the HS2 Interchange Station.
An important element of the HS2 development, the Interchange Station will be the first stop on the line outside London, forming a central node of the national high speed rail project with unparalleled links to the UK’s major cities and an estimated 21,000 passengers a day using the station in 2026.
Situated on Junction 6 of the M42, the site will become a strategic destination for corporate occupiers, a hub for multiple forms of travel, and will offer connected living for residents who will benefit from the ambitious mixes use development and the unrivalled connections.
The vision for the site is being driven by the Arden Cross Consortium, a group of four landowners.
Ben Gray, from the Arden Cross Consortium, said: “Arden Cross is a destination at the heart of a global network of road, rail and air connections placing over 35 million people in the UK within a two hour travel time.
“The HS2 Interchange Station is only one small part of the overarching vision for Arden Cross, which will incorporate a combination of high quality public realm, commercial spaces suitable for both national and international occupiers and more than 2,000 new homes, all supported by complementary leisure and retail uses to form a brand new urban centre in the heart of the country.
“While we are still in the early stages of the development process, it is hugely exciting for us to be able to unveil the vision for this site and how it can support the UK Central vision for the continued economic prosperity of the region and UK as a whole.”
Arden Cross is part of Solihull’s ‘UK Central’ growth plans – a strategic vision centred around four economic opportunity zones, designed to maximise Solihull’s role as a powerhouse of the regional economy.
Councillor Ian Courts, Cabinet Member for Managed Growth and Deputy Leader of Solihull Council, said: “The launch of Arden Cross is a key milestone in the journey of development plans around the High Speed Interchange site and plans around Solihull’s UK Central ‘Hub’ area, capitalising on proximity to assets such as Birmingham Airport, the National Exhibition Centre and Jaguar Land Rover.
“The development will attract international interest from world class businesses and has the capacity to deliver over 20,000 jobs, building on the area’s track record in delivering strong economic growth and contributing to its future success.”
Arden Cross is being delivered by the Arden Cross Consortium of land owners and is a key part of UK Central, a vision for the economic prosperity of the region supported by the Greater Birmingham and Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership (GBSLEP), the West Midlands Combined Authority and Central Government.