Willenhall’s regeneration moves a step closer with Compulsory Purchase Order

The powers were granted following a public inquiry, meaning Walsall Council can now purchase the 21,000 square metres of land without any landowner’s consent. 

CPOs are issued to authorities in order to deliver regeneration projects which are in the public interest. The reason for this CPO was to enable the council to deliver part of the Willenhall Masterplan.

It hopes to improve the mostly derelict area across Villiers Street, Moat Street, New Hall Street, Stafford Street and Temple Bar by demolishing of the former industrial buildings to make way for housing.

Outline planning permission was granted this summer to demolish the buildings and build 107 homes. The development plans were categorised into five parcels, titled A, B, C, D and E.

Inspector Claire Searson, appointed to lead the inquiry on whether to issue the CPO to Walsall Council, said there had been a longstanding desire from the authority to regenerate this specific area of Willenhall, which has been an ‘enduring concern’ for the local community.

There were three objectors to the Compulsory Purchase Order, two of which were businesses that operated in the area and the other was a property developer who hoped to redevelop the land himself. One of the two businesses, Winfield Industrial Services, has operated its steel fabrication and metal welding company from Stafford Street, located in Parcel B for the proposed development, since 2002.

While the business is not opposed to the regeneration, it argued that the business site could be excluded from the plans and co-exist with the residential development. Winfield was recognised by the inspector as one of the ‘more important’ sites, as it is a ‘clearly thriving business’ with a skilled workforce of 12 local employees.

However, the inspector decided that because the Winfield site contains large areas of derelict buildings, including the former Century Works and Moat Street Garage, it would not be possible to exclude the Winfield site without ‘prejudicing the whole development’. 

Ms Searson said: “I recognise that the Winfield Industrial Services site is possibly one of the more important sites due to its role in the manufacture of critical infrastructure. That said, when balanced against the benefits of the scheme, should relocation fail for any reason, the loss of employment and manufacture would be regrettable, but would not form a reason for failing to confirm the CPO or excluding the plots.”

Also objecting to the CPO was SJS Engineering which operates a metal foundry on New Hall Street. The inspector said there were ‘very real concerns’ that the business would be finished if it was forced to relocate. Due to the ‘niche nature’ of the business, a new premises would require significant adaptations, and some of the historic machinery used by the company, which isn’t made today, would not survive any relocation. 

The inspector said: “From the evidence provided, there are very real concerns that this business would be extinguished should the CPO be confirmed. However, there is a compelling case in the public interest for the acquisition of the rights, and whilst the loss of some 7.5 jobs if relocation is not possible would be regrettable, this would be outweighed by the public benefit of the proposed housing.”

The third objector is property developer Phillips Landholdings Ltd. The company owns all of the land in Parcels A and C, the majority of Parcel B excluding the Winfield site, and a small part of Parcel D. 

Mr Phillips and his family bought the plots with the intention of redeveloping the land themselves, believing 275 homes could be delivered on the company-owned sites – 168 more than the council’s masterplan hopes to achieve. The inspector said she had ‘significant reservations’ about the proposals due to ‘very basic details’ and ‘inaccuracies’ in the plans put forward by Phillips Landholdings. 

Ms Searson awarded Walsall Council the CPO, stating that there would be no realistic prospect of the regeneration scheme being delivered without it.

Deputy leader of Walsall Council, Councillor Adrian Andrew, said: “I am delighted with the decision to grant compulsory purchase powers for Willenhall. We will now follow the statutory notification procedure to notify all parties, but this is a positive step forward in our transformative plans for Willenhall.”