Exciting news for Solihull as plans for a low-carbon energy network move forward, promising sustainable energy for schools and local buildings
Solihull: There’s some great news brewing in Solihull! The long-awaited low-carbon energy network is finally making strides. This project aims to provide eco-friendly heating and electricity to schools, offices, and council buildings in the town center.
The plan is to set up an energy hub right next to Tudor Grange Leisure Centre. From there, the network will stretch down to Solihull College and Tudor Grange Academy. Future phases could even power Alderbrook School and St Peter’s Catholic School, plus Solihull Hospital down the line.
Solihull is on a mission to become a net-zero borough by 2041, and this energy network is a big part of that goal. They got full planning permission back in March 2021, so things are really moving now.
In October 2023, the council’s cabinet gave the green light for the £18.7 million project. They’ve secured funding through a mix of grants and borrowing, which is pretty impressive.
Since work didn’t kick off within three years of the original planning approval, they had to resubmit the application. Thankfully, that got approved last May.
Last summer, the council teamed up with Vital Energi Ltd to bring this project to life. Recently, they submitted a new application to tweak the planning permission a bit.
One of the changes involves adjusting the site on Blossomfield Road because they found some underground services that weren’t on the radar. They’re also looking to reduce the energy center’s size and add some new enclosures.
Plans were submitted on January 8, and you can check them out on the council’s planning portal if you’re curious.
When the partnership with Vital Energi was announced, Coun Andy Mackiewicz shared how much effort has gone into this project. He’s excited about bringing affordable, reliable low-carbon energy to Solihull, which could set the stage for similar projects in the future.
