The UK Central Hub Solihull including Arden Cross and the NEC

The Hub sits at the centre of the UK’s transportation network and is unique in offering development and investment opportunities which benefit from unrivalled connectivity.

With the arrival of high speed rail and major investment in local transport infrastructure, The Hub will become Europe’s best- connected destination for business, leisure and living; a new and outstanding gateway unlike any other in the UK.

The Hub is a 1,300 hectare opportunity in Solihull, just off Junction 6 of the M42 motorway. It is home to Birmingham Airport, the National Exhibition Centre (NEC), Birmingham International Station, Birmingham Business Park, Jaguar Land Rover and the 140 hectare Arden Cross development site which will be the location of the new HS2 Interchange Station.

There are opportunities for long-term equity investors, large-scale development funders and operational partners interested in infrastructure, energy, transport, and large-scale, mixed-use development.
The two most significant and immediate opportunities are at Arden Cross and at the NEC.

Arden Cross
A central element of The Hub and the location of the HS2 Interchange Station, it covers 140 hectares with the opportunity to deliver 558,000m² of commercial space, up to 3,000 new homes and support 27,000 jobs. Announced with a Statement of Intent between partners in early 2024, the site will include delivery of a world leading HealthTech campus, bringing together the public, private, and academic sectors to foster an Innovation District anchored by the University of Warwick.

This 25-year, £3 billion development project has the backing of local and national government with a commitment to fund local infrastructure to facilitate future development. Muse is preferred development partner with the potential for early phases of development, well ahead of HS2 operating.

NEC Campus
The vision for the NEC Campus is to create a unique environment for living, supported by new space for working and leisure. A new Urban Village of over 5,000 homes will create a highly sustainable community of over 11,000 people living in a mature and green landscape. A new Grand Plaza and Urban Boulevard will act as catalysts for further commercial, leisure, retail and tourism development, alongside new public realm. The process to secure a development partner will commence following a period of consultation on the masterplan.

Across The Hub, Solihull Council is delivering a number of strategic infrastructure priority projects including additional and improved transport infrastructure around the HS2 Interchange Station site; future-proofing the supply of energy; upgrading the highway network; and a car parking strategy to make the best use of existing and planned parking spaces.

Why invest in Solihull?

One of the most productive economies and fastest growing labour markets in the country, UK Central Solihull attracts international investment and global names, home to Jaguar Land Rover, Changan Automotive, Rolls Royce and Gymshark.

Combining a highly skilled workforce, unrivalled quality of life, exceptional connectivity and unlimited opportunity, UK Central Solihull provides a compelling investment proposition.

At MIPIM 2022 UK Central Solihull will be showcasing ambitious plans for the UK Central Hub, home to Birmingham Airport, Birmingham International Station, the National Exhibition Centre (NEC), Jaguar Land Rover, Birmingham Business Park and Arden Cross, the new mixed-use destination which will be the location of the new HS2 Interchange Station – the first outside London.

The Hub has the potential to support up to 70,000 jobs and deliver over 650,000 sq m of prime commercial space, 8,000 new homes and £6.2 billion GVA per year.

Our Urban Growth Company is leading infrastructure investment and development to create a brand new, sustainable urban quarter at Arden Cross, with high-speed rail and unrivalled connectivity at its heart.

The NEC masterplan proposes the transformation of over 67 acres to new residential, office, leisure and community spaces, incorporating 5,000 new homes and supporting 3,500 new jobs.

Major transport investment ranging from new and improved motorway junctions to upgrades of the local highways network, along with new public transport routes, further add to The Hub’s attractiveness.

Solihull’s town centre also presents a range of exciting commercial and residential development opportunities, with significant investment committed to further public realm and transport infrastructure enhancement.

With a track record of innovative housing delivery and ambitions to accelerate development across Council owned sites, UK Central Solihull offers a range of potential sites for innovative schemes in strategic locations, linked to our economic growth agenda.

Our ambition is underpinned by a commitment to sustainable development, adding value to commercial opportunities and showcasing the region’s strength in low carbon expertise as a national exemplar of future placemaking.