Delivering impact in my community – it’s my biggest challenge yet

To celebrate International Women’s Day, we spoke to some of the women at Muse shaping the next generation of places.

Sharne Sahajpal is Development Manager in our Midlands team.

With a law degree secured, my career started when I decided I wanted to work in the land and property industry. I made it my priority to network within the industry and sought work experience, and I’ve been lucky enough to work for some of the industry’s biggest companies since.

I’ve been able to achieve a great deal in my career to date. I’ve worked across the UK and been involved in major development opportunities and significant drivers of economic growth. In all my roles, I’ve been fortunate to work with female leaders, who have helped shape my career. In fact, I met Maggie Grogan, our MD and my line manager whilst at a networking event and she’s acted as a mentor to me ever since.

Muse in the Midlands

Our Midlands office launched in 2022, and I was amongst the first members of the team to join in 2023. Joining Muse presented the opportunity to create new places in my own region, having grown up in Sandwell in the West Midlands.

At Muse, we make a real difference to people’s lives. The power of regeneration to drive change is obvious when you see the impact our teams have across the country. I’m proud to be part of the team building the Muse brand in the Midlands.

The ability to have a meaningful impact in my community, to deliver quality affordable homes, create jobs, or curate new public spaces excites me every day.

It’s easy to picture a distant developer, but and the reality is that our teams are part of the community as well. We are committed to delivering for – and on behalf of – local people and our partners.

Building a brighter future

In the Midlands, we are already working on several new places, which will have a real impact on the community and the region. At Mell Square in Solihull, we are working in partnership with the local authority to create a new mixed-use neighbourhood.

We will improve the retail offer in the town centre, create a night-time economy, deliver new public and leisure spaces, and high-quality homes.

We are the preferred regeneration partner at Arden Cross, leveraging the connectivity of the HS2 Interchange Station, and are working in partnership with City of Wolverhampton Council to regenerate City Centre West.

These are all opportunities to drive change locally, regionally, nationally – and even internationally. By working with our partners, we can ensure the benefits are felt at every level.

We’ll measure our success by the reaction of our family and friends when they live, work, or visit the places we create, by the jobs we deliver, and the economic growth we can support.