How Tyler Parkes and Partners Saved Shirley from the Zombie Apocalypse

It has been 30 years this year since the building was closed by The Central Electricity Generation Board, later known as ‘Powergen’.

The site was designed by Architect John Madin in the early 60s. He was well known in this area, having designed and built many buildings around Birmingham and Solihull. His buildings have not always been liked because of the brutalist 1960s style of architecture and many have been demolished.

The site was purchased by ASDA supermarkets shortly after the Powergen closure. There were lots of lots of rumours about the site. It was said that the intelligence services used secret floors for interrogation, and there was a nuclear bunker beneath the building.

Whatever the facts, the building (it was in fact a group of buildings with the tower being most dominant) was secured and guarded, but it enjoyed limited maintenance and the surrounding vegetation became increasingly overgrown. As such it gave an eerie sense that something (or someone) was lurking in the shadows. So, when Hollywood came knocking to film The Girl with All the Gifts, it was the perfect spot to scene for an undead uprising. The derelict site was transformed into a terrifying zombie-infested ruin—complete with crashed cars, twisted corpses, and, of course, a few flesh-eating monsters.

But fear not, Shirley residents! While Glenn Close, Gemma Arterton, and Paddy Considine fought off hordes of imaginary zombies on screen, one of the unsung heroes of the real battle behind Shirley’s salvation were none other than Tyler Parkes who, as planning consultants for the project, worked in collaboration with Shirley Advance, SR Davis Architects, and Solihull Council to progress the transformation of the site and surroundings from an undead nightmare into a thriving, modern community.

Old Powergen Site

Professionalism in the Face of the Apocalypse

To many, navigating the planning system may well seem an easier job than dealing with the walking dead. With such a major project, the sheer number of stakeholders, interested parties, consultants and groups was enormous. Tyler-Parkes may have played just a small part in the development, but it was a crucial one and with a joint effort the team approached the challenge with the same precision and expertise that clients have come to expect.

Challenges faced included:

The application included, over several years, a comprehensive, co-ordinated and integrated approach to the redevelopment of this important site, comprising general site clearance including demolition of all existing buildings and structures on the site; the erection of an ExtraCare Retirement Village comprising 261 units by ExtraCare Charitable Trust; the erection of 113 dwellings comprising a mix of traditional houses and apartments by Lioncourt Homes Ltd.; the erection of a petrol filling station (PFS) by ASDA; associatedlandscaping; on-site roads; car parking; and off-site highway works.

Not to mention quite a few big poppies.

From Zombie Central to a Community Hub

In the end, the combined efforts of the team assembled by Shirley Advance, including Tyler Parkes, prevailed and the former Powergen site was spared its potential Hollywood horror nightmare, and it was transformed into a vital community asset. Where once there were eerie ruins and staged car crashes, there is now a well-planned, modern care home providing a safe and welcoming space for Shirley’s elderly residents.

Site of New Care Village

And if Hollywood ever needs another film set for the next big apocalypse flick? Well, thanks to this collaborative effort, they’ll have to look somewhere else—because Shirley is officially zombie-free. …( or so we think….!!!)