Wolverhampton Council could use compulsory purchase order to force sale of eye infirmary

Wolverhampton Council could acquire the site in Chapel Ash against the will of its owners in a bid to get the infirmary redeveloped.

A deal had been agreed with the council's preferred developer and the site's owners to revamp the eyesore on the edge of the city centre but problems with funding led to the developer pulling out of the scheme.

Last year, site owner BZ Property Holdings said it had managed to bring a new developer on board but that the delay had pushed the development back by up to 18 months.

Council bosses have been trying but failing to get the site on Compton Road redeveloped for years and now the cabinet is set to approve, in principle, the option to use compulsory purchase order powers.

Compulsory purchase orders allow authorities to acquire land without the consent of the owner when development or regeneration is in the public interest.

Wolverhampton Council also says that proceedings are also under way to bring a prosecution against BZ Property Holdings for non-compliance of a s215 notice requiring it to undertake certain repairs to the historic buildings.

The council says it is keen for the site to be brought back into use to provide new housing opportunities and resolve long-standing issues of anti-social behaviour, dilapidation and blight on the surrounding area.

Wolverhampton Council's director of regeneration, Richard Lawrence, said: “With the buildings in a constant state of decline it is imperative to find a solution which addresses the current physical state of the site and enables the site to be brought forward for beneficial redevelopment.

“A number of schemes have been proposed by developers for the site that were acceptable in principle to planners - but the owners have placed an unrealistic valuation on the sale of the site.

“Despite not being the owner of the site, the council is determined to see it brought back to life, so it brings jobs, opportunities and investment to Wolverhampton.”

A further report will be put before cabinet chiefs to approve the final extent of the land to be acquired.

BZ Property Holdings has been contacted for comment.

Last year, BZ Property managing director Zed Ahmed highlighted that the council was insisting on keeping the fire-damaged Victorian clock tower.

He said: "The council insisted on the retention of the tower block building located towards the centre of the site, the same building that had previously sustained heavy fire and structural damage under the ownership of the NHS.

"In March this year, after a whole 18 months, Gr8 Space failed to complete on the contract, sending us back to square one. This came as a huge disappointment to us and equally to Wolverhampton City Council as their preferred choice of developer was unable to proceed with the redevelopment of the site.

"We as a company had to quickly come to terms with the fact that we had just lost a whole 18 months and would have new financial obligations to bring about a successful resolve to our current situation."