New images show long overdue work to transform an upmarket Birmingham suburb is set to become a reality.

The £15 million regeneration of Mere Green, mooted for more than a decade, is finally under way with significant demolition work already complete.

The project, a joint venture between Salmon Developments and NFU Mutual Assurance Society, will see a three-acre site transformed with new bars, restaurants and shops, with the likes of Marks & Spencer and Boots already signed up.

City architect Bob Ghosh drew up the masterplan for the scheme, called Mulberry Walk, and said he aimed to create a public square to become the new focal point of the area on the edge of Sutton Park.

Mr Ghosh, principal of K4 Architects, said: "The Mulberry Walk project is not just about providing retail space but creating a new heart to the town centre.

"The current townscape is dominated by a series of surface car parks - a sea of tarmac, with no apparent quality or focal point.

"Mulberry Walk will be a transformational project for the area and K4 looks forward to realising it with the construction team."

The Mulberry Walk site will be clear within a few weeks, ready for the main contractor to take possession and start construction, which is scheduled for completion in autumn 2016.

CGI of Mulberry Walk looking from Lichfield Road
CGI of Mulberry Walk looking from Lichfield Road

The scheme will deliver 53,000 sq ft of new-build retail space as well as the new public square and on-site car parking.

It will be anchored by Marks & Spencer Food and Boots, with Prezzo, Greggs, Caffè Nero, Explore Learning and Boots Opticians all signed up.

It marks a major return to grace after original developer Castlemore Securities collapsed in 2009, more than three years after bringing forward the scheme.

The original proposal, which was approved in 2006, had a higher density with a significant residential element.

The new project is retail-led and addresses Lichfield Road, Mere Green Road and the land to the rear.

A pedestrian lane will connect Mere Green Road to a new public square outside the entrance to Marks & Spencer.

Birmingham-based Coleman is carrying out the demolition works and Seddon Construction, which has recently opened a new regional office at Birmingham Business Park, has been appointed as the main contractor.

Pictures: Regeneration of Mere Green