Eyesore land in Smethwick up for sale with £2m price tag
Eyesore land near Smethwick Rolfe Street Station has been put on the market for nearly £2 million, with hopes that a housing development could be built on it.
The site of the former job centre building in Church Hill Street, near Smethwick Rolfe Street Station, could see 60 homes built on it if plans are re-submitted.
It has stood vacant since the building was demolished more than five years ago.
It has now been put on the market by The Intelligent Move estate agents in West Bromwich for a guide price of £1.9 million.
Planning permission was originally granted by council bosses in 2008 for the construction of 60 residential units with associated car and cycle parking. Councillor Preet Gill, who represents the St Paul’s ward in Smethwick, said housing on the site would be welcome.
She added: “Properties and sites that have sat there empty or derelict for a long time need something done with them.
“Any plans going forward to regenerate the area is a positive. Houses in the centre of Smethwick would be really beneficial and welcome by the communities around them.
“We need more investment and social housing, so if this could be a mixed development site it would be great.
“We don’t want people to be pushed out of their homes with a lack of social housing, but more so offer the best choice as we possibly can to them.”
Plans for the build that were originally submitted in 2008 by Zebra Architects, state that the site would offer potential to get more people into the the town.
It reads: “The redevelopment of the currently abandoned site will offer the provision a larger type of housing types to the borough’s existing residents and attract new residents to the area.
“The development will aim to build on and improve the character and quality of the environment through good design and building quality to produce an appealing living environment.”
Last year, it was announced that Smethwick was set to welcome more housing, with 160 homes approved for a former industrial estate off Lewisham Road and Mafeking Road.
The homes will transform a huge site off Lewisham Road and Mafeking Road.
The units were demolished in 2009 and the site has remained empty ever since.
Smethwick councillor Richard Marshall said the homes would be a boost for the town. He said: “It’s fantastic. Smethwick is a really sought-after area in general and the more properties developments we can get up and running the better.”
