'Exciting' 366-home development on Wolverhampton canalside set for approval
A huge “exciting” canalside development featuring more than 350 homes in Wolverhampton looks set to get the go-ahead.
Members of Wolverhampton Council’s planning committee are expected to grant permission to the 366-property development of the Union Mill and Lower Horseley fields site at a meeting on May 25.
The scheme, put forward by Union Mill Street Wolverhampton SPV Ltd, will involve the demolition of vacant properties as well as the conversion of historic buildings on the site.
Ten new buildings will also be constructed and the completed development will feature 359 apartments and seven houses.
Office space and a unit for a cafe or a shop will also be created within the scheme.
There will be 278 cycle spaces and 88 car parking spaces while the neighbourhood management company will operate a two-vehicle car sharing club for residents.
The buildings to be retained and converted are the former Cheese and Butter Warehouse and two other properties known as the slip docks. The Grade II Listed 16A Union Mill Street will also be kept.
A number of workshops and former wharf manager houses will be demolished due to the poor condition they are now in.
If the scheme is approved, it would be completed in four phases of building.
In the application, agents WSP said: “The Union Mill site will be sensitively redeveloped to restore and enhance the existing heritage assets, creating a distinct new city centre neighbourhood in this prominent location.
“The reconfiguration of the existing layout also allows for the creation of a new pedestrian and cycle access into the neighbourhood via the existing canal tow-path, with a clear and legible route into the wider Lower Horseley Fields area.
“The provision of such a path ensures that the site’s future residents and users will benefit from the its proximity to the city centre and infrastructure network, such as the railway station and the transport Interchange.”
They added: “Through its high-quality design and consideration of the site’s existing assets, the proposal will enhance residents and site users’ appreciation of the canal and historic buildings.
“This is an exciting scheme for Wolverhampton’s Canalside Quarter, which includes the transformation of a brownfield site and the conservation-led regeneration of the Union Mill site.
“The design of the new buildings takes cues from, and complements, the surrounding industrial heritage of the area and it would restore and better reveal the heritage significance of the grade II listed Former Cheese and Butter Warehouse, the grade II listed Wharf Manager’s House, the locally listed buildings associated with Union Mill, and the character and appearance of the Union Mill Conservation Area, as well as the setting of neighbouring heritage assets.”
Wolverhampton Council planning officer Phillip Walker said: “This development proposal would make a vital contribution to the regeneration of the City of Wolverhampton, and the delivery of the Canalside Quarter.
“The proposals would create a sustainable residential community close to the City Centre and the design makes the most of the canal side setting, including high quality buildings and public realm improvements, with good connections to surrounding services and facilities providing an attractive place for people.
“The proposals would preserve the character and appearance of the listed buildings and the Union Mill Conservation Area and are in accordance with the development plan."
