First new council homes for Wolverhampton estate since 1969 almost ready
The first new council homes to be built on a Wolverhampton housing estate since it was officially opened by Princess Margaret in 1969 will be completed by the end of this month.
Heath Town estate, near Wednesfield, has been undergoing a major multi-million pound transformation over the last few years, and the new housing developments – at Hobgate Road and Tithe Croft – form a significant part of the project.
A mixture of 40 two-bedroom and four-bedroom council houses are being built across three sites on Hobgate Road and one on Tithe Croft, off Chervil Rise, by energy and regeneration specialist Equans.
The first 18 homes on Hobgate Road are due to be completed at the end of this month and will then be handed over to Wolverhampton Homes to manage, with a view to the first tenants moving in.
They mark the first phase of a total of more than 200 new homes to be built on the estate over the coming years, with the council set to develop nine sites in total.
So far the project has seen an extensive demolition programme of vacant buildings, existing residential blocks undergoing major improvements by Wolverhampton Homes, and the creation of three new play areas and a football pitch. All of the new homes will have their own car parking space and the majority will come with gardens.
Councillor Bhupinder Gakhal, the council’s cabinet member for city assets and housing, said: “This is a historic milestone in our transformation of Heath Town and it is wonderful to see these first new council homes completed. One of our key priorities is to increase the number of good homes in well-connected neighbourhoods across the city.
“This development will certainly help us achieve that and I am looking forward to seeing the first tenants moving into these fantastic new homes.”
Councillor Jaspreet Jaspal added: “All three Heath Town Labour councillors welcome the completion of the new homes and cannot wait to see the new residents and families move in.
“These long overdue new homes and the award-winning regeneration project helps bring an estate that was stuck in the 1960s into the 21st century and shows the council’s commitment to improving the quality of life and living standards for Heath Town residents.”
Other works already completed as part of the redevelopment include the demolition of walkways and garages in the Hobgate Road area of the estate and the refurbishment of the ground and lower ground floors of Ling House to provide new office, meeting and activity space for the Hope Family Centre.
The Heathfield Park Neighbourhood Plan was one of the main drivers for the remodelling of the estate. When consulted through the neighbourhood planning process, residents listed new affordable family homes, play areas and improved security as priority areas for improvement.
