Development begins to build council homes on disused Bilston site blighted by fly-tipping

Wolverhampton Council has appointed contractor Morro Partnerships Limited to build the new ‘A’ Rated, gas-free homes with solar panels, on Ettingshall Road, Bilston.

The development, supported by a £715,000 grant from Homes England, will see seven two-bedroom houses, two three-bedroom houses and two four-bedroom houses.

The council’s housing development team is leading the project, and all the homes will be available for affordable rent, with construction expected to be complete by next summer.

The houses form part of the latest phase of new council homes coming forward across the city, with development works underway or set to start in the coming months on 81 properties across six sites.

Morro Partnerships has adopted sustainable building methods at the Bilston development by using a timber frame construction throughout, with the carbon footprint less than traditional structures.

The Ettingshall Road development will have a dedicated segregation zone, with all materials being recycled on-site to reduce the amount being sent to landfill and enabling materials to be recycled back into the environment quickly and efficiently.

Councillor Steve Evans, the council’s Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Housing, said: “This is another example of the council’s strategy to bring small disused sites back into use for the benefit of our residents and communities.

“There is an increasing demand for housing and this forms part of our pipeline of new council properties we are developing to deliver more good homes in well-connected neighbourhoods across the city. This development builds substantially on the investment already made in Bilston in recent years that is seeing the town flourish.

“Residents can enjoy living in a flourishing town, while sustainability in build and fostering thriving communities is important to us, so our collaboration with Morro Partnerships assures both us and our residents that their homes are future-proofed.”

Chris Timmins, Managing Director at Morro Partnerships, said: “Ettingshall Road, alongside our other joint ventures with City of Wolverhampton Council, is an important development for Wolverhampton, helping to meet the extra demand for affordable and council homes across the city and its outskirts.

“Morro prides itself on creating great places to live which are sustainable and built in the interests of its occupants, so to be producing such great, energy-efficient homes is rewarding.

“Our collaboration with City of Wolverhampton Council is exciting, and we’re looking forward to seeing this space being put to great use and becoming a thriving community.”