New homes on way after Black Country brownfield sites get £1.4m government boost
Two brownfield sites are set to be cleared for housing development after £1.4m of government funding was secured to begin demolition works.
A total of 150 houses will eventually be built on two sites, the former Loxdale Primary School in Bilston and Stowheath Day Training Centre in East Park.
Work will get underway in early 2025 after the Government agreed to release funding from its Brownfield Land Release Fund (BLRF2) to pave the way for demolition works.
Site clearance and remediation of the land will be carried out to enable the sale of the land to developers for the delivery of "new energy-efficient homes by modern methods of construction".
City of Wolverhampton Council says services currently operating at these two locations will be relocated, part of a council drive to rationalise their estate portfolio and free up land for housing development in the city.
Prior to the scheme being approved by the council's cabinet earlier this year, the authority said it planned to relocate taxi licensing from Loxdale Primary and catering services including meals on wheels from Stowheath to new purpose built facilities at the Hickman Avenue Depot in East Park, which they said would improve service operation and efficiencies.
“The relocation of services from both sites to more suitable locations will also support our plans to regenerate the East Park Gateway along the Willenhall Road," said the Council’s Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Housing, Councillor Steve Evans.
“Hundreds of construction jobs and apprenticeship opportunities will also be created, and the aim is to develop a net zero carbon scheme that supports the council’s climate change agenda.”
The council says the scheme will free up 7.5 acres of brownfield land for up to 150 new homes.
A public consultation with was held last year, giving local residents the opportunity to feed into the plans at an early stage to help shape the initial designs, the authority says.
“This vital funding will enable us to kickstart this exciting scheme that makes the best use of council assets and fits with our brownfield-first policy," added Councillor Evans.
“More importantly it will enable the development of new and better affordable homes for key workers in the Bilston and East Park areas of the city."
