BMW to take over vacant site in Walsall

Walsall Council planners have approved a proposal to convert the old Peter Rushton Ltd building in Albion Street into a workshop, garage and service centre.

Peter Rushton Ltd had been in operation for decades, buying and selling machinery and tools before the company went into liquidation in 2016.

The building has been unoccupied since and an application to change its use to general industrial purposes at the start of 2019 failed to materialise.

But now BM Willenhall, which already has a unit in Bilston Lane will take over the site, creating five new jobs as a result.

It will operate from Monday to Friday from 8.30am to 5.30pm and Saturday 8.30am to 12 noon. It will be closed on Sundays and public holidays.

A noise assessment study concluded that neighbouring homes and businesses would not suffer any disturbance or nuisance as a result of operations from the new garage.

Raupvinder Matharu, of BM Willenhall, said: “The site comprises of an existing modern industrial building with its own off street parking areas.

“The surrounding area is predominantly commercial buildings all used within the automotive industry and there are a small number of dwellings in the vicinity.

“The proposed building would not result in any loss of privacy or daylight on neighbouring dwellings.

“All noise from the workshop will be strictly monitored and the only machinery that is located on the site will be an air compressor which will be located at the further point away from residential areas.”