Homes planned for remaining part of historic factory site

A former bowling green at the now demolished Gunnebo site in Woden Road, Heath Town, Wolverhampton, would be used to build new homes and apartments according to a recent planning application.

The factory off Woden Road was home to Chubb Safes before the company was sold nearly 25 years ago. 

More than 100 homes have already been built on the site in recent years after the factory was demolished with the historic city firm’s former bowling green one of the few remaining parts to remain untouched.

The fenced-off patch of grass would be used for six new homes and nine apartments according to the application by Gunnebo Safe Storage UK.

A move to build housing on the land was first made in 2019 but the council said it remained an “active recreational facility.” The green’s pavilion was demolished in 2021 as it was in a “very poor state” and over fears it was a fire risk. According to the application, City of Wolverhampton Council had approached Gunnebo Safe Storage UK in 2022 over plans to turn the former bowling green into a skate park as part of ‘legacy’ work for that year’s Commonwealth Games in Birmingham following a peak in interest.

However, the work never got off the ground and stayed empty. A year later the council said the patch of grass was still not being used, the site was “redundant” and there was no interest from either the local authority or the local community in using it for sport. The site did, however, start to attract the interest of vandals with it becoming a hotspot for anti-social behaviour. 

The safe-making side of Chubb was sold to Swedish firm Assa Abloy in 2000 which then passed on the business to Gunnebo. Months later the firm it was closing the safe works in Wolverhampton with 170 staff made redundant. Gunnebo said the factory was “too big” for its business after much of the manufacturing side moved to new premises in Willenhall and Wednesfield with the main offices eventually moving to Pendeford Business Park