Kingshurst village centre regeneration - Phase One

We're currently onsite delivering 25 net-zero carbon (regulated) social rented homes in Kingshurst.

This project is the first phase of a wider regeneration masterplan for Kingshurst that will transform the village centre. The wider masterplan aims to provide both sustainable housing and modern retail space, centred around a brand-new community health and wellness hub.

Reducing the risk of fuel poverty

The new homes will include three- and four-bedroom family homes as well as one-bedroom maisonettes. The homes are designed to be net-zero in operation (regulated), which means that residents will benefit from significantly reduced running costs. This is particularly significant for socially rented homes as it reduces the risk of residents experiencing fuel poverty.

To achieve this, we are taking a fabric-first approach to ensure the homes are highly insulated and as efficient as possible. This includes using windows with a low U-value and high thermal efficiency and timber frames that have high levels of air tightness. Using timber for the frames will also help to reduce embodied carbon emissions.

The new homes will be fossil fuel free, with air source heat pumps heating them and integrated photovoltaics providing renewable energy.

Providing employment opportunities to individuals in the local community

As part of this project, we are delivering a Building Lives Academy for local people who are not in employment, education or training (NEET).

The academy will take the form of a Construction Training Hub and will help young people living in the area to develop the skills and experience they need to secure employment in the construction industry.

Across eight cohorts, around 100 local people will have the opportunity to learn about careers in construction and gain hands-on experience on our site. Funding is being provided by West Midlands Combined Authority and it will be delivered in partnership with Solihull College and RMF Training.

In February, the Mayor of the West Midlands, Andy Street, visited the site to find out about the project and meet some of the learners taking part in the training hub.

Dan Doyle, director at Willmott Dixon, said:

“As a business with a rich history in the region, we are so pleased to have been appointed to deliver the initial phase of this development project for Kingshurst village centre.

“The regeneration will bring wide-ranging benefits for the local area and the net-zero carbon in operation homes will go a long way to increasing energy security and protecting residents from fuel poverty.

“We are taking a sustainable, fabric-first approach for this development, using timber frames with a high air tightness score to keep the homes well insulated and extremely economical. Each property will work off air source heat pumps instead of gas, have windows with a low U-value for high thermal efficiency, be fitted with integrated PV and be designed to Secured by Design standard.

“We will also be offering those in the local community looking to take their construction training to the next level the opportunity to learn and develop their skills throughout the project, and hope that we can leave a positive legacy for the community through our Building Lives Academy.”

Councillor Ian Courts, leader of Solihull Council and Portfolio Holder for the Economy, said:

“This is a huge day for Kingshurst as this first phase of construction officially gets underway.

“It marks an important first step in delivering on a much wider scheme that will totally transform Kingshurst, while also helping to address the current shortfall of affordable housing in Solihull and bring the long vacant former Mountfort pub site back into use.

“This has been a complex scheme from the start, but one we are committed to making sure we get right. The 25 new homes being built here have been designed with the highest energy efficiency standards in mind and will serve as an exemplar for what can be achieved for the rest of the scheme and elsewhere across the borough.”

Andy Street, Mayor of the West Midlands, said:

“Advancing the regeneration of Kingshurst village centre has been a key priority for me as Mayor – and of course a really important scheme for Solihull as well as the wider region.

“That’s why it’s wonderful to be able to congratulate Solihull Council on their leadership of this project – ensuring suitably sensitive redevelopment of the site, prioritising high quality housing that is both sustainable and affordable, and keeping a clear focus on enabling the Kingshurst community to thrive.

“Right across our region, we’re on track to build 215,000 new homes by 2031 and the regeneration of Kingshurst is helping us to deliver on this ambitious goal. I cannot wait to see this scheme come to life.”