New homes planned for former tennis club site in Bilston despite traffic and noise fears
Council bosses in Wolverhampton are set to approve plans for 11 new detached and semi-detached homes on the site of the old Bilston Tennis Club, despite protests from neighbours.
The club, on the corner of Villiers Avenue and Harper Road, closed down in 2016 and land previously occupied by the tennis courts has not been used since. Planning chiefs are due to make a decision on the application by Wolverhampton Homes next Tuesday.
However, the council has received six objections from residents living nearby, citing reasons including loss of privacy, noise pollution, increased traffic, potential crime and anti-social behaviour during construction and social housing not being in keeping with the area.
In a report to committee members, section leader for planning Vijay Kaul said: “Following Bilston Tennis Club relinquishing their lease on the site several years ago, it became vacant and has since fallen into disrepair. In June 2017, council cabinet approved the proposal to redevelop the site.
“This was made under the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) capital new build programme for the provision of affordable council housing, to help meet the housing needs of residents in the city, managed by Wolverhampton Homes.
“A previous planning application for ten new Passivhaus houses – homes that provide a high level of comfort using very little energy – on the site was submitted and approved in 2022. However, that proposal is no longer viable due to upgraded building regulations, and the council now plans to develop properties that meet the new Future Homes Standard instead.
“While the scheme is no longer being constructed to a Passivhaus Standard, the proposed houses would incorporate high-quality design credentials that meet the proposed new Future Homes Standard 2025, currently in public consultation,” added the report.
“This will produce highly efficient buildings which use low-carbon heat and have the best fabric standards possible, ensuring they are better for the environment and fit for the future.”
Bilston Tennis Club, one of the oldest clubs of its kind in the Black Country with more than 100 members at its peak, closed due to falling numbers and relinquished its lease on the site soon after.
In June 2017 the council approved plans to redevelop the land under the Housing Revenue Account (HRA). Sport England and the Lawn Tennis Association agreed to the site being used for 100 per cent affordable housing, subject to a payment of £40,000 from HRA funds to mitigate for the loss of the tennis courts. The cash was used to improve tennis courts at East Park.
