In 2022, the Town Centre Regeneration Partnership, working with the Rt Hon Andrew Mitchell MP, secured £25 million in Government funding from the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement (CRSTS) programme. The purpose of this funding is to deliver the Royal Sutton Coldfield Gateway Scheme and help unlock the regeneration of the town centre.
The Royal Sutton Coldfield Gateway Scheme aims to improve access to, from and around Sutton Coldfield town centre by focusing on improving public transport, walking, wheeling and cycling links. It sets out a number of individual interventions which collectively aim to regenerate the town centre by making it more attractive for residents and visitors, encouraging them to spend more time in the town. The proposals will also look to attract inward investment and support economic growth. The scheme aligns with the Highways Big Moves identified in The Sutton Coldfield Town Centre Masterplan Supplementary Planning Document (SPD).
Royal Sutton Coldfield Town Council has been working with Birmingham City Council and Transport for the West Midlands to progress the scheme through West Midlands Combined Authority’s (WMCA) approval process. WMCA administers the funding on behalf of the Government.
Birmingham City Council, as the project sponsor, is responsible for delivering the project. This involves taking the scheme through a 3-stage approval process: Strategic Outline Case (SOC), Outline Business Case and Full Business Case. The scheme will need to be successful at each stage to move forward to delivery.
Following approval of the SOC, Mott MacDonald was appointed as the consultant to deliver the next stages of the scheme, which has now progressed to the early stages of Outline Business Case development. There is now an opportunity for residents and stakeholders to input into the design of the scheme before it is finalised.
From Thursday 22 October until Thursday 3 December, residents can look at the latest plans and images of the proposed scheme and share their thoughts via the project website: https://www.birminghambeheard.org.uk/bcc/sutton-gateway.
Three drop-in events will take place at Sutton Coldfield United Reformed Church, 1 Brassington Avenue, B73 6AA, where members of the project team will be available to answer questions and discuss the proposals in more detail:
- Thursday 12 November, 2 pm to 7 pm
- Wednesday 18 November, 8 am to 11:00 am
- Saturday 21 November, 11 am to 3 pm
Anyone with questions about the project can contact the team at: Transport@birmingham.gov.uk.
Feedback will play an important role in helping to shape the future of Sutton Coldfield town centre and informing the next phase of the Royal Sutton Coldfield Gateway project.
The background to the Royal Sutton Coldfield Gateway scheme can be found here.