Delayed Solihull Knowle Place shopping village development could finally get off the ground

Plans to revamp the centre in St John’s Way, Knowle – including housing, a spacious public concourse, a prominent arched entrance, sheltered seating and even a water feature – were first revealed in 2021.

But, despite Knowle Place gaining planning permission in November 2022 and residents moving out, there has been little change at the site since. A petition, stressing concerns the area was being allowed to deteriorate and become an eyesore, received nearly 2,000 signatures from villagers.

A revised scheme from developers Mercia Real Estate then went before May’s planning committee meeting when officers informed councillors the key stumbling block holding up progress was that a Section 106 agreement was never signed.

New terms were proposed at the meeting that the the trigger point of the affordable housing payment of £427,363 be on 50 per cent of the occupancy of the relevant housing part of the scheme.

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Mercia’s original trigger point was 100 per cent occupancy and, despite the negotiations getting to 50 per cent, councillors deferred for officers to re-enter negotiations to see if the trigger point could be lowered even further.

Committee members expressed their frustrations at the delays during that meeting but agreed the matter did not need to return to a future meeting, so progress would not stall further. Now it has been revealed officers were successful in negotiations in getting the trigger payment to 40 per cent.

This led to the planning permission being approved on October 23, council documents show.

The permission is for: “Refurbishment and upgrade works to existing St John’s Way shopping centre to provide 17 retail units at the ground floor level with some first floor storage space, 28 residential apartments at the first floor level and the formation of a second floor to provide 19 residential apartments, car parking, landscaping and all other associated works.”

It is stressed in the document that work on the shopping village has to have begun within three years, when planning permission expires.

Knowle councillor Edward Fitter had previously forecast the 106 agreement would be signed.

He added: “Knowle is so beautiful – it is being let down by St John’s centre.”