400-home development in Walsall approved

The project between Walsall Housing Group and Keepmoat Homes will see 407 properties – 102 of which will be allocated for social rent and a further 24 on affordable rent – built on land on Goscote Lane.

Ward councillor Ian Robertson said he was delighted that work will finally start on site as the area had been plagued with anti-social behaviour and fly-tipping.

It is also another boost for the wider Goscote Lane Corridor project that will see around 700 homes built in the area.

Earlier this week, the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) announced it was allocating £3.6 million to unlock disused land along Goscote Lane to enable developers St Francis Group to bring forward a separate 263-housing scheme.

Walsall Housing Group had originally submitted an application to the council for a £56 million 426-property scheme more than a year ago.

But the plan was revised with proposed apartments being replaced with bigger family homes to meet demand.

The properties that will be built on site will be a mixture of two, three and four bedroom houses as well as a one and two bed bungalows.

Councillor Robertson said he hoped the scheme would be similar to another Walsall Housing Group initiative that has seen hundreds of properties recently built on the nearby Poet’s Estate in Harden.

He added: “I am keen to see the work start as the site has suffered problems with anti-social behaviour and fly-tipping.

“There is a real need for this development. People are struggling to get affordable housing.”

Following the WMCA announcement, Walsall Council leader Mike Bird said: “The Goscote Lane Corridor is the biggest residential regeneration scheme in Walsall, and it’s a real collaborative success story, where partners have worked together tirelessly to make this happen.

“The WMCA has played an important role too – its remediation fund can help speed up the delivery of new homes by unlocking brownfield sites quickly.”

By Gurdip Thandi, Local Democracy Reporter