Solihull: My ambitious no-brainer plan to turn Meriden farm barn into hotel for NEC and Birmingham Airport

The application by Berryfields Farm to convert an old agricultural barn next door to the farm shop in the Berkswell Road site was given the backing of Solihull planners in June 2023.

The operations director of the farm, Tom Barber, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) that year the idea for the hotel was born out of a need to diversify the business.

“The hotel really feels like a no-brainer,” he said.

“It felt like the most natural step being so close to the NEC and Birmingham Airport.”

The application proposed having the barn converted with lifts located inside, while a spiral staircase intended to look like a feed silo on the outside of the building.

And the hotel is set to create eight full-time jobs as well as two more in the kitchen and bakery to deal with extra demand.

At the time of speaking to the LDRS Mr Barber said he had hoped to begin construction on the hotel could begin in 2023.

Now the applicant has applied to Solihull Council to sign off preparatory conditions which feature in the planning permission agreement to allow construction work to begin.

An application to formally ‘discharge’ conditions four (noise control measures), six (hard and soft landscaping), nine (cycle parking) and 10 (refuse storage) was submitted to the authority on March 18.

A consultation is underway with a closing date for submissions of April 17.

To view the plans and submit a comment search for application PL/2025/00553/DIS.