Express & Star

£1 million price tag is put on site of old Wednesbury school

Plans to build a care home on the site of a former school could be resurrected after the land was put on the market for £1 million.

Published
An image of how the new development at Wednesbury would look

Planning permission was granted for a two-storey care home on the Kings Hill School site in Wednesbury in 2012, but has yet to come to fruition.

The site previously housed the Kings Hill School before it was demolished in 1992.

Plans for the 60 and 16-bedroom care facility were previously approved for the site, with it being thought that the larger home would provide care for the elderly, while the smaller would be used by adults with dementia, learning difficulties and mental health issues.

In 2008, Sandwell Council sold the land to the rear of Joynson Street when it was declared surplus to requirements.

It is now owned and put on the market by Birmingham-based mortgage broker Christie & Co.

A sale advert states that although plans have now lapsed for the site, they could be re-submitted.

It reads: "This opportunity has previously had two planning consents which have now lapsed but we believe the principal is there for a two storey new care home facility with 80 single bedrooms with full wet rooms or alternatively a smaller care home with supported living/step down facilities on the same site.

"Christie & Co have been appointed by the owners of this development site to obtain best offers for either a potential care facility or alternative use. The site is situated in a thickly populated area which is up an coming with plenty of new houses being built close to the site."

The company hold various planning documents and environmental reports on the site which they state will be made available for 'seriously interested buyers'.

They also own No.1 Joynson Street which is currently being used as a residential dwelling and can be purchased in addition to the larger development.

The school which stood on the site was vacated in 1991 and was burnt down later that year, leaving it in an eyesore state.

A design and access statement submitted to Walsall Council at the time of the proposed care home development said there were plans to work closely with job centres to gain packages to allow them to offer positions to people who have been unemployed for some time.

It was thought that around 115 jobs could have been created.