Building of delayed Tipton homes to start soon

Housebuilder Mar City is to erect 128 houses and nine apartments on the former Little Burton Estate, off Alexandra Road, where the 1930s homes were demolished in 2000.

Chairman Hamilton Anstead said the group was at various stages of negotiation with third parties, including housing associations, for further contracts involving sites in the West Midlands, Nottinghamshire and London.

"We expect that these contracts, if secured, will all be signed during 2013 and enable Mar City to make further substantial progress in 2013 and 2014," he added.

Mr Anstead said Mar City was on site at Tipton doing preliminary work and expected construction to start "imminently."

Originally 151 homes were planned on the nine-acre site.

But the figure was reduced to 142 following concerns about them being close to a gas pipeline on the site.

The work was originally scheduled to begin last year.

But Birmingham-based Mar City, which specialises in high quality, sustainable developments in the public and private sector, has since further revised the scheme.

The homes being constructed will be for sale both to housing associations and to the open market and are supported by funding from the Get Britain Building initiative.

Mar City is also building 106 homes on a four-acre site at Richards Street, Darlaston; 36 on two acres at Carnegie Road, Rowley Regis; 115 on 5.5 acres at Norfolk Place, Leamore, Walsall and 41 on 2.5 acres at The Maltings, Lichfield.

It has previously built 114 homes at Woden Road, Wednesbury and 150 at Church Lane, West Bromwich.

Mar City today announced a £978,000 profit before tax on sales of £8.9 million for last year.

Revenues grew substantially in 2012 as a result of new house building projects in the West Midlands and Leicestershire.

Its last three contracts, including the Tipton scheme, are expected to have a revenue value of approximately £22 million.

The new housing development will be separated from the leisure centre by a park area.

The centre has replaced the former Tipton swimnming baths in Queens Road.