National Motorcycle Museum, Coventry Road Bickenhill, Solihull

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Graham Smith

Guest
22 January 2014
National Motorcycle Museum, Coventry Road Bickenhill, Solihull

The Trustees of the National Motorcycle Museum have engaged with a team of consultants to prepare a planning application for a multi-million pound investment at the Museum including the construction of a new hotel to provide overnight accommodation for conference delegates.

A public exhibition to display these proposals has been arranged for:

FRIDAY 24[SUP]TH[/SUP] JANUARY 2014 – 3.30PM – 8PM
SATURDAY 25[SUP]TH[/SUP] JANUARY 2014 – 10AM – 3PM

IN THE FOYER OF THE NATIONAL MOTORCYCLE MUSEUM,
COVENTRY ROAD, BICKENHILL, SOLIHULL, B92 0EJ

The proposal is to restructure the Museum to provide a major tourism attraction displaying the heritage of the British motorcycle industry which will lead to a dramatic transformation of the world’s largest motorcycle museum that preserves the heritage of British motorcycle industry.

The world’s largest collection of British motorcycles is hugely important, it is evidence of the engineering skills, innovation and expertise of an industry largely based in the West Midlands.

The investment in the museum is wholly reliant of the revenue generated from the conference business and there is an increasing demand from the conference market for overnight accommodation.

In order to maintain the Museum as a regional and national conference venue, the investment will include a hotel of circa 250 bedrooms. This investment will secure the long term future of the Museum. The Museum will operate the hotel.

The Museum’s investment plans hold synergy with the M42 Economic Gateway Strategy known as UK Central, which was published last year by Solihull Metropolitan Council in partnership with the Great Birmingham and Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership. [SUP](note 2)[/SUP] The proposals for the Museum may be one of the first initiatives for major new investment around UK Central.

There are multiple socio economic opportunities from major investment in the Museum including links with schools, technical colleges and manufacturers. The proposal will optimise an existing cultural asset. The heritage of the British motorcycle industry will be promoted through the development.

The Museum envisage that the development will provide an additional 150-200 jobs, safeguard the existing 150 jobs on the site (the majority of who are residents of the Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council area). Construction jobs will also be created through the development phase. The Museum is keen to ensure that local residents benefit from the jobs created.

The Museum is located in the Green Belt and special justification will be required to support the proposals in an intended planning application to be submitted to Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council.
 
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