Flats plan for Wolverhampton police station thrown out
Plans to convert the former Wolverhampton police station into a block of flats has been thrown out by councillors - with one likening it to asking people to live in a custody block.
The redundant police station in Birmingham Road had been earmarked for conversion into 32 apartments.
But the plans were rejected yesterday when they went before the city council's planning committee.
Councillor John Rowley told the meeting it was a totally unsuitable site for such a development, adding that the only the desperate would want to live in them.
The building, which occupies a prominent location on the approach to the Wolverhampton ring road, has been empty for the past two years since it was vacated by West Midlands Police.
The developer, a Mr K Samra, wanted to convert the property into 17 single-bedroom and 15 two-bedroom flats.
A report by planning officer Tracey Homffray had recommended the scheme for approval.
The report said the existing fabric of the building would, however, place some constraints on the development.
She said some of the flats would not have as many windows as would normally be expected, and there would be little in the way of communal gardens.
However, Miss Homfray said the benefits of bringing a prominent building back into public use would outweigh the necessary design compromises.
However, Councillor Rowley, whose Blakenhall ward covers the site, said it was not a good location for residential development, and was not convinced that there would be sufficient parking space for people living in the flats.
"I think it's a bad use for the building," he said after the meeting.
"The suggestion was that because it was close to the city centre, you can relax some of the restrictions.
"We are all in favour of people living in city centres, above the shops and close to the pubs, but this location is so cut off from the city.
"It is surrounded on all sides by heavy traffic, and is totally cut off from all the facilities in the city.
"It would be like asking people to live in a place of incarceration.
"The only people who are going to want to live in a place like that are those who are desperate."
Councillor Rowley added that the scheme would also add to traffic problems in the area.
"There would only be 16 parking spaces for 32 apartments, that would not be enough."
