'Regret' as historic West Bromwich hospital buildings to be demolished for homes

Members of Sandwell Council’s planning committee gave the green light to a proposal to demolish the old physiotherapy unit at the hospital, on Lyndon, in West Bromwich.

But the decision was made with “regret” at the meeting on Tuesday as it will mean the demolition of the Victorian building.

The development, by Catalyst Mutual Enterprise will see 12 new houses and 109 apartments created at the hospital’s Lyndon Campus.

A new physiotherapy facility will be incorporated either on the site or at the new Midland Metropolitan University Hospital, currently being constructed in Smethwick, while the existing one will be demolished.

The homes will feature six two-bedroom and six three-bedroom houses, while the apartment block will contain 50 one-bed and 59 two-bed flats.

There will also be a convenience store along with a creche and community room incorporated within the scheme.

Two late objections were submitted to the committee by The 20th Century Society and an unnamed resident lamenting the loss of the old unit.

The resident said: "This part of the hospital has historic value dating back to the 1850s. Therefore demolition would result in significant loss to the history, heritage and character of the local area.

'Neglectful'

“Sandwell Council has been extremely neglectful in its duty to preserve such buildings of historic value.”

Mark Smith, another objector, told the committee he wasn’t against the principle of the scheme but there were issues including the size of the apartments as well as the energy efficiency of the scheme.

He also called for the existing buildings to be incorporated into the scheme.

In their application, agent Walker Troup Architects said: “When built, the accommodation will help Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust to hold onto key staff, whilst also attracting new workers who may otherwise be forced to look for employment elsewhere, or who may look to relocate to other geographical areas as a result of their inability to find suitable residential accommodation.

“Key medical workers are critical to the ongoing and successful operation of the NHS Trust, and as such, are critical to the area in which they are employed.”

Members of the committee and planning officers supported the principle of the development.

Councillor Bob Piper said: “It may not be listed by English Heritage but it does look like a very nice building.

“There is a development at the old Selly Oak Hospital which has demolished the hospital, which was a prefabricated building anyway, but preserved the old nursing homes at the front and converted those into apartments.

“I’d have thought it would have been quite easy to use some of this to accommodate it into the development.

“I’m mindful to accept it but with some regrets in terms of the failure to incorporate the building into the new scheme.”