More than 100 homes set for Wordsley hospital site

NHS Property Services has submitted an application for 129 homes on the empty Ridge Hill Hospital site - eight years after homes were first mooted.

Most of the current buildings on the site - including the Keeling Centre and Shousters House which are currently empty - would be demolished as part of the proposals.

However, the existing Ridge Hill Centre LIFT building, Pens Meadow School and bungalows and residential accommodation for assisted living would be retained.

Councillors in Wordsley have welcomed the proposals but when the plans were first mooted concerns were raised about the impact on traffic.

Councillor Derek Hemingsley said: "I think this is excellent news. We've been waiting for something to happen here for a long time. The grounds have been left as a sort of wilderness. This application is positive news for the area.

"My only concern is the impact on the highways network around that area - I think this needs to be looked at by the developer. But overall I am supportive."

Plans for homes to be built at the hospital site were first lodged back in 2007 but did not come to fruition.

In 2011, plans were backed by Dudley Council's planning committee for 144 homes, improvements to the junction of Brierley Hill Road and widening of the existing Ridge Hill access road.

However, this fell through after the Section 106 agreement accompanying the proposals was not signed.

Since then the site has remained vacant and in NHS ownership.

In the plans it states: "The development proposed by this application will introduce new residential dwellings to a previously developed former hospital site which has been vacant since the former Wordsley and Ridge Hill Hospitals were relocated and the majority of buildings demolished.

"In its current form the site does not contribute to the local area, landscape or open space network.

"The proposed development will re-establish an active use of the site and a new community to benefit from existing open space which will contribute towards local provision and be better used by local residents."

When the plans were initially unveiled, NHS Property Services spokesman Jeremy Peters said: "The site has been largely vacant for some time and all of the former hospital buildings demolished.

"Part of NHS Property Services' role is to help make better use of public land.

"Disposing of property that is no longer required by NHS commissioners enables reinvestment in improved NHS services, and saves the taxpayer the cost of maintaining vacant sites." If approved, a housing developer will be brought in to build the homes.