Hundreds of homes to transform Wolverhampton estate

A masterplan has been drawn up to redevelop the Heath Town and wider Heathfield Park area of Wolverhampton which is made up almost entirely of social and council housing.

The scheme could see rows of flats in the area flattened to make way for the revamp.

Potential sites on playing fields and derelict land have been earmarked for the new homes.

Among the sites being considered are fields at the old Springfield brewery, the Culwell Trading Estate and the former G&P Batteries plant in Grove Street. And pieces of land are being sought for another 160 homes across Heath Town.

The council also wants to attract new businesses to the area by revamping shopping centres and filling empty units.

The masterplan has been drawn up laying out the council's ambitions for the area in a bid to attract investment.

It says up to 550 homes could be built in the next 10 years

It is hoped the majority of the houses will be 'traditional family homes' and will have energy saving features such as Biomass boilers.

An artist's impression has been produced for a new village green-style public space and homes in Chervil Rise.

Seven of the 17 shop units at Chervil Rise are in use, and four of these remaining leases are about to expire, the report reveals.

The report states: "The masterplan offers an opportunity to re-invigorate Heath Town estate shops by remodelling them into open-plan units and facing onto the main road.

"The same could also improve Wednesfield Road shop fronts to attract and take advantage of passing traffic. Shops and small starter businesses should be encouraged to locate or expand in Heathfield Park; in particular, residents want to see more shops on the estate."

Ward councillor Milkinder Jaspal said the proposals would bring a boost to the area, which has suffered during the economic downturn in recent years, with shops closing and rising levels of unemployment. He said: "New homes are something we have needed here for a long time.

"There have been plans before that have stalled, but we hope this will make things move forward now.

"The plans are to be welcomed. Heath Town is between the city centre and Bentley Bridge, and it is ripe for development, so we hope this will take off."