Hope on 'Beirut of Sandwell' land sale

The transformation of a flattened estate once labelled the "Beirut of Sandwell" is moving closer, with the land set to be handed over to developers.

The sale of derelict land on the Brickhouse estate in Rowley Regis is now being finalised and is expected to be completed by the end of this month. Oldbury-based Metropolitan Estates has agreed a £1.3 million deal to buy the land, which includes the site of the former derelict Brickhouse shopping centre, from Sandwell Council.

The firm has already drawn up plans to build new homes and a shop and it is hoped work could start by the end of the year, despite the slowdown in the property market.

Metropolitan Estates is now hoping to sell or lease sections of the land to other developers to build on, or build some of the houses itself.

Planning permission is already in place for more than 50 homes across three areas on the land, which encompasses Harvest Road, The Avenue and Eagle Close.

The sale of the land will also see £50,000 handed over by developers as a condition of the planning consent, with the money to be spent on developing open space and play facilities in the region.

John Stackhouse, from Metropolitan Estates, said he understood the sale to be going through as planned and things were progressing well.

"We are going through the process this month to purchase it off the council and then we will be looking at our options," he said.

"We are speaking to several people who may want to take it on but it is obviously difficult with the times we are in at the moment."