Breaking Sutton Coldfield’s ‘concrete collar’, creating innovative public spaces and broadening opportunities for shops, bars and restaurants are at the heart of a masterplan for the Royal Town.

The highly-anticipated Sutton Coldfield Town Centre Masterplan has been published by the Town Centre Regeneration Partnership (TCRP).

The document represents the culmination of work undertaken by consultants Tibbalds CampbellReith and sets out an ambitious road map to making the town centre a great place for local people, visitors, businesses and investors in the short and long term.

At the heart of the Masterplan are a series of exciting ‘Big Moves’. These were consulted on during February and March 2020 with residents, organisations, and landowners, and subsequently refined to produce the final recommendations, including:

• Reducing segregation caused by the ring road to better connect Birmingham Road, Parade, High Street and Sutton Park – breaking the ‘concrete collar’
• Balancing the space given to cars, bicycles and people to create safer, more appealing streets
• Creating new innovative public spaces at the heart of the town centre – inspiring more community use, and improving the look and feel of Parade and Lower Parade offering more seating, lighting and greenery
• Encouraging opportunities to broaden the type of shops, bars, restaurants and community and heritage facilities in the town centre, while promoting opportunities for town centre living
• Protecting and promoting the historical environment in the town centre, living up to the ‘Royal’ name, and introducing more natural features and planting

Simon Ward, TCRP chair and leader of Royal Sutton Coldfield Town Council, said: “The publication of the Town Centre Masterplan marks the starting point of a long overdue major investment and regeneration journey for our Royal Town. Producing the masterplan in under a year, amid a global pandemic, shows the resolve of the Town Council and other TCRP partners to deliver on our absolute commitment to delivering the town centre Sutton Coldfield deserves.

“We are not resting on our laurels though – this is just the beginning. There is more work to be done to make the ambitious yet achievable ‘Big Moves’ a reality, and members of the Town Centre Regeneration Partnership, landowners and businesses are already working on the next steps needed to deliver this generational opportunity for change.”

Sutton Coldfield Chamber of Commerce is part of the Town Centre Regeneration Partnership and president Katie Hale said: "It’s a strange time for all Town Centres due to the Covid-19 crisis and Sutton Coldfield is no exception.

"Local residents and businesses are willing for change and the Masterplan looks like the promise of a new Sutton Coldfield.

"Meanwhile,  we absolutely must support our local town and be as positive as we can.”

A dedicated website has been developed to help residents explore the contents of the masterplan – click here.