At the heart of the action

By Ben Gray, Arden Cross

Arden Cross has been a prominent feature in the regional and national news for much of 2022; and as an integral part of the UK Central Hub, a string of major announcements throughout 2022 has started to give shape and detail to the myriad of work lined up across the site.

From the infrastructure improvements and the 3,000 new homes, to the 27,000 new jobs and 6 million sq ft of employment space across the 346 acres of Arden Cross, the site is ready to deliver.

In March, the teams behind Arden Cross and the wider Hub, along with HS2, agreed to release land across the site earlier than originally planned to enable development to come forward in advance of the opening of HS2; meaning work could start as early as 2024.

Then, in July, West Midlands Mayor Andy Street welcomed the arrival of construction contractor Laing O’Rourke to the Interchange station site and the subsequent creation of up to 1,000 new jobs during the five year contract which is due for completion in 2027.

The new Interchange station will be one of the most sustainable railway buildings in the world – a factor that reflects the wider approach to Arden Cross. This also underlines the aim to create a highly sustainable new destination centred around people while creating regional connections that bring communities in East Birmingham and North Solihull within an easy commute of this major job creating location.

In September of 2022 ACL announced we had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with University Hospitals Birmingham (UHB) and the University of Warwick around the creation of a world class medical and technology campus at Arden Cross.

This would be focused on creating better health and life outcomes for people by reducing the time to market for healthcare innovations like medical devices and treatments, drawing in private sector investment, and delivering the levelling-up agenda in the West Midlands.

In November we announced that after a year of marketing, ACL had appointed Muse, a leading national developer, as the ACL development partner at Arden Cross.  Hitting the ground running, the Muse team is now working with the ACL team to bring the Arden Cross masterplan to life.

As we approach the end of 2022 and reflect upon our achievements over this past year I truly believe, now more than ever, that Arden Cross presents a tremendous opportunity to deliver new jobs, facilities and homes while contributing to a transformation of our regional and national economy.

There is no doubt in my mind that 2023 will be another exciting year for Arden Cross.

Watch this space.