£167m bid for urban village is scrapped

A £167 million urban village plan for the Black Country was in tatters today after the developer behind plans for hundreds of new homes pulled out.

A proposed health centre for the Bilston scheme has also been scrapped and the land it was going to be built on has been transferred back to the Government.

Councillors today said £870,000 that was used in legal fees to secure London-based developer Places for People had been "poured down the drain".

Proposals drawn up in 2002 would have provided 1,500 jobs, a tree-lined boulevard, 1,300 homes and a health centre. Places for People was behind the first 120 properties.