Disused bank building to be brought back to life
A disused bank building in Bloxwich will finally be brought back to life after planners gave the green light for it to become a training centre.
Nova Training will take over the former TSB building at the Bloxwich Fire Station site on the High Street as a centre to offer courses and apprenticeships to young people.
The building closed when Lloyds and TSB merged and banking services were transferred to the existing Lloyds branch further along the High Street.
Agents for Nova said the training provider, whose main base is in Wolverhampton, has a proposed five year lease with the fire service to operate from the site.
The company said it will cater for 14 to 24-year-olds offering a range of courses and apprenticeship opportunities.
The application said: "Former plane tree house was taken on by the TSB Bank group many years ago; it was altered to suit their needs with minimal respect to for the building.
"A lot of the building architectural features were removed, original doors/entrance and windows removed on the ground floor and a lot of cast iron windows were installed.
"The ground floor was opened up and a safe room installed. Some 15 to 20 years ago when TSB and Lloyds merged this building bank was closed, leaving the building with no purpose.
"The windows and doors were boarded up and canvas window pictures fixed over. The building has been left in this condition ever since and the building has deteriorated.
"Allowing this development will turn a old somewhat eye sore in the town and on a busy set of traffic lights, into a cared for building, providing jobs and training and apprenticeship chances for the younger generation of Bloxwich and local area.
"In turn this will bring more people into the town and help other local business with their trade too."
