Housing plan for crumbling building

A proposal has gone in to Walsall Council planners to convert the boarded up property, situated near the town’s Magistrates’ Court, on Stafford Street into an assisted living facility.

If approved the plan, put forward by applicants Sand Akhtar and Ekrha Rashid, would involve demolishing a two storey rear wing and rebuilding it with three private rooms on each floor.

The front part of the building would also see two more private rooms created, a communal kitchen/dining area on each floor, an office, reception and toilets.

Representatives for the developers said Stafford Street – one of the main routes into the town centre – had declined over the past few decades with many properties in the area closed.

They added they were boarded up to prevent vandalism and other anti-social activity taking place in the buildings.

They said: “The applicant wishes to refurbish the front part of the property but to demolish and rebuild the rear as a smaller more efficient shape to be used as an Assisted Living Facility to either care for or re-introduce people back into society

“The once busy shopping street, served by electric trolley buses was sidelined in the 70s after major road alterations, demolitions and parking problems.

“Many properties fell into disuse through fall off in trade and dereliction. Some were purchased or demolished by the council but most have been left empty for some time and have deteriorated from that and zero maintenance.

“The ground floors were built as retail shops; with the upper floors and some of the rear, for living accommodation.

“The rear consists of one and two storey wings, typical of Victorian terraced houses. The basic construction is two storey solid brickwork, pitched slate roofs and timber floors.

“Most of the frontages have been boarded up for some time to prevent vandalism  and misuse.”

A decision on the proposal is expected to be made by Walsall Council planning officers in October.