There’s more to an MP’s job than Westminster, and one of the most important meetings I had this week for the long-term future of our town was with Nick Page, the Chief Executive of Solihull Council. We were discussing the Local Plan, which is the Council’s blueprint for a major overhaul of our town centre over the next few decades.
It really is a hugely ambitious project – the current plan includes redeveloping Mell Square as well as introducing more ‘urban living’.
The ‘living’ part is very important. Housing is a challenge for the entire country, but we must ensure that our borough has the homes it needs to continue to grow and thrive in the 21st Century.
We also need the infrastructure to support that growth, learning the lessons of the 1960s when big government-planned projects would pay too little attention to the needs of all the new residents.
Solihull Council’s plan to future-proof our town centre is some welcome forward thinking, but I will continue to keep a close eye on the project to make sure that it is practical and affordable.