Kingshurst: What Was Said, What Was Done — and What Wasn’t

​Why a Local Resident Had to Speak Up 
​In December, a Kingshurst resident and parish councillor, Mr Kimberley, stood up at Full Council and raised concerns about the Kingshurst village centre regeneration.

He didn’t shout.

He didn’t make party-political points.

He spoke calmly and clearly, using the four minutes available to him.

That matters — because this wasn’t an opposition speech or a campaign stunt.

It was a local voice, speaking about what residents can see on the ground.

What Residents Were Told to Expect

Kingshurst regeneration was meant to deliver:

• a new village centre
• a community and health hub
• local services people could walk to
• new homes
• a proper heart to the area

In short: regeneration, not just demolition.

​What Residents Asked For
Mr Kimberley didn’t ask for miracles.
He asked for:

• clear public information about funding and timescales
• temporary use of the empty site
• a community voice before designs are finalised
• reassurance that costs are being properly checked

These are reasonable expectations, not political attacks.

The Four Minute Public Deputation

What Has Actually Been Delivered
To be fair and accurate:

• 25 new homes have been built
• Some park and environmental works have been completed

Those things matter, and nobody disputes that.
But the centre of the scheme — the village centre hub itself — has not been built.
The shopping centre is gone.
The site remains empty.
And residents still don’t have the services they were promised.

Why Mr Kimberley Raised the Alarm

In his deputation, Mr Kimberley made a number of straightforward points:

• The hub element of the scheme has been delayed again
• NHS funding is lower than originally expected
• The council now plans to move its own housing services into the building, requiring redesign work
• A possible start date of late 2026 is being discussed — but only if funding is secured

For residents, the message is simpler:
The finish line keeps moving, and nobody can say for sure when — or if — it will be crossed.
He also raised a practical question many people will recognise:
If rebuilding may not start for years, why is the site left empty in the meantime?
Suggestions such as temporary green space or community use were put forward — modest ideas, not expensive demands.


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​How the Council Responded
The council’s response acknowledged that:

• Kingshurst has been extremely challenging
• Funding bids were unsuccessful
• Officers are continuing to work on a revised approach
• A future Cabinet report will set out next steps

What residents did not hear was:

• a fixed start date
• a guaranteed funding package
• a clear explanation of what will happen if plans change again

A reply – However, said another to that, “Voters don’t want rhetoric, they want answers”

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A Letter to Conservative Councillor for Kingshust and Forbridge - David Cole

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A "Trailblazing Kingshurst Regeneration Project"
​Read the Opinion - Here

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The Question That Cut Through
Later in the meeting, a simple question was asked:
What has actually been delivered in Kingshurst since 2025 — not plans or strategies, but things residents can see?
The answer returned to:

• the 25 homes
• park improvements

Important — but also revealing.
Because those homes were part of Phase 1.
The village centre itself remains unfinished.

The Bigger Council Pattern People Should Notice
This meeting highlighted something wider than Kingshurst.
HS2 — lots of agenda time

• repeated updates
• long explanations
• regional strategies
• future-focused promises

Kingshurst — very little

• one deputation
• short answers
• decisions deferred to future reports

Put simply:
HS2 dominated the conversation.
Kingshurst barely featured.

This matters because Kingshurst is fully within Solihull’s control — while HS2 is not.

Why This Matters
No one disputes that regeneration is difficult.
No one disputes that funding is tight.
But residents are entitled to:

• clear information
• honest timelines
• visible progress
• and early warnings when plans are at risk

When local schemes drift quietly, problems are spotted late — and only after residents step forward.
That is what happened here.

What Residents Asked For

Mr Kimberley didn’t ask for miracles.
He asked for:

• clear public information about funding and timescales
• temporary use of the empty site
• a community voice before designs are finalised
• reassurance that costs are being properly checked

These are reasonable expectations, not political attacks.

Looking Ahead: Learning the Lesson Early

​Kingshurst shows what can happen when ambitious regeneration moves ahead of secured funding and clear delivery checkpoints. As plans for Mell Square continue to develop, it is essential that these lessons are learned early — with clear assumptions, transparent timelines, and regular public scrutiny before expectations harden. Doing this now is not about revisiting the past, but about ensuring that future regeneration delivers what communities are promised.