Vistry and Platform team up on stalled school scheme
Nearly 200 homes will be built on a brown field plot in Solihull, more than three decades after the classrooms fell silent at the school which once occupied the site.
Platform Housing Group and Vistry will join forces to build out a 177-home, 100% affordable scheme on Chester Road in Chelmsley Wood, where the former Simon Digby School site has sat unused since 1992 following a schools reorganisation.
Vistry was named as Solihull Borough Council’s preferred developer for the site in October 2024, and planning approval was granted in March this year.
Once completed, Platform will own and manage all 177 homes on the 11-acre site.
“This development represents the value of partnership working, bringing together organisations with a shared commitment to delivering high-quality, affordable homes in the places they are needed most.
“The area has been a priority for Platform due to its location as well as the high demand for affordable housing required in Chelmsley Wood,” said Kate Ellison, director of growth and innovation at Platform Housing Group
“The 177 new homes will help grow the existing community by providing homes for individuals, couples and families of all ages looking for somewhere safe, secure and affordable to call home.”
The site was included for housing in Solihull’s 2013 local plan, and received a £3m boost from the West Midlands Combined Authority for remediation funding in 2021.
All homes will be built using modern methods of construction, with open‑panel timber frames manufactured off‑site at Vistry Works East Midlands in Leicestershire. Each MMC home is expected to emit 14,460kg CO₂e less than a traditional brick‑and‑block build and will offer excellent energy efficiency, according to the developer.
Cllr Mark Parker, cabinet member for housing at Solihull Council, added: “This development is a great example of how strong partnerships can help us deliver the homes our residents need. The council has worked for a number of years to bring forward this former school site for development, undertaking the master planning and feasibility work needed to unlock its potential.
“It is fantastic to see Vistry and Platform Housing Group now taking this vision forward through the delivery of 177 high-quality affordable homes. As well as providing much-needed housing for local families, the scheme will bring investment into community infrastructure, create attractive new public spaces and support a sustainable future through modern methods of construction.”
