Derelict Walsall factory to be torn down and replaced with 200 flats
Plans to tear down a derelict factory site in Walsall town centre to make way for more than 200 apartments will go ahead, council chiefs have said.
Proposals were submitted to knock down the "eyesore" Saddlers Quay, near the New Art Gallery, and make way for 222 flats and 90 parking spaces.
The site includes Greatrex House, William House and the former Argyle Works. The apartments will be one and two-bedroom, planners say.
Now Walsall Council bosses said the project will progress after developers satisfied a number of pre-demolition conditions set by the authority.
The issues related to construction management, hazardous materials and the breeding of birds and bats. A demolition notice has also been approved by the building control service.
Councillor Adrian Andrew, deputy leader of the authority, said: "I’ve been working on this project for a number of years and it’s great to see some real concrete progress.
"This is another piece of the jigsaw of regenerating our borough and another positive example of putting derelict sites into use."
The council says the scheme supports the vision of the Walsall Town Centre Masterplan, working towards a more mixed use that combines retail with leisure and town-centre living.
The planning statement said: "The site occupies a prime location for a residential use, situated within easy walking distance of the city's major cultural and commercial centres and the central bus and train stations which open up access to the attractions of the wider region.
"These strong pedestrian and public transport links make the site an ideal location for sustainable development that will both benefit from and contribute to local services and businesses both within the immediate Walsall area and in the wider region as a whole.
"The proposals will support and enhance the ongoing regeneration of the waterfront area and the council’s aspirations to establish this as a gateway location by removing existing derelict structures and transforming a currently neglected site into a thriving residential development ideally located for modern urban living."
