Drive-thru and industrial unit approved for vacant Chelmsley Wood site

A vacant plot in Chelmsley Wood is set to be brought back into use as a Starbucks drive-thru and a three-storey industrial unit, after Solihull Council granted planning permission.

The land at Bacon's End, between Cookes Lane and Waterloo Avenue, has stood empty. The applicant, Burney Estates Development Limited, lodged the proposal earlier this year for a single-storey drive-thru café, the industrial building, landscaping and new access for vehicles.

For the area, the scheme means new jobs, a new place to meet, and an empty site brought back into use.

What will be built

The plans combine two uses on the one site. The drive-thru will be a single-storey building, while the three-storey unit will be used for warehousing and storage. The developer's planning statement says the storage use "reflects the established character of the surrounding area", and that the drive-thru element was "robustly justified through the sequential test", the planning check that looks at whether a town centre site would be more suitable first.

Inside, the café is planned with free Wi-Fi and a variety of table sizes and layouts. "As such, groups are encouraged to congregate and socialise," the statement says. "The necessary infrastructure is also provided for individuals to use the space as a remote working hub."

Jobs and local benefits

The developer argues the scheme will bring "substantial benefits to the local community, economy, and environment".

"The proposed development will make a meaningful contribution to the local economy, both during construction and operational phases," the planning statement says. "It creates jobs, supports local businesses, enhances community facilities, promotes sustainable transport, and improves the character and functionality of the site."

It adds that the mix of uses "is appropriate to the site's context and has been supported in principle through pre-application discussions" with the council.

Approved after consultation

Following a public consultation, Mark Andrews, Solihull Council's head of planning, design and engagement, granted planning permission subject to conditions on 18 September.

The approval does not set a date for building work to start, and the number of jobs has not been given. Anyone who wants to see the plans in full can search for application PL/2026/00545/PPFL on Solihull Council's public planning portal.

A busy corner of north Solihull

Chelmsley Wood sits on the eastern edge of Birmingham, close to the airport, the NEC and the motorway network. Bringing an empty plot back into use, with work for local people in both buildings, is the kind of small-scale regeneration that adds up across the area.