Smethwick housing estate plan now moving forward
Plans to build a housing estate in the shadow of a proposed multi-million-pound super hospital are again moving forward after the health scheme was given a vote of confidence.
The Midland Metropolitan Hospital earmarked for Grove Lane in Smethwick is moving forward, after being on hold for years as question marks remained over how it would be funded.
Planning permission had been approved in 2012 for 186 homes and apartments at the nearby former Atlas Metals site, the building of which were due to coincide with that of the hospital, to help with an expected increase in housing demand.
After a series of delays the hospital development is now back on track after NHS managers gave the scheme their seal of approval.
And now plans for housing at the Cranford Street site seem to be gathering pace, after the prospective developers submitted an application to alter the planning permissions on the site.
The amended plans, submitted to Sandwell Council's planning team by Mar City Developments from Shirley, now show a total of 142 houses and apartments on the 12,625-square-metre site.
That includes 16 two-bedroom flats, 33 two-bedroom houses, 57 three-bedroom houses and 36 four-bedroom homes.
It is expected a decision will now be made on the plans some time in May.
The area around Cranford Street, including the former site of engineering giant Guest, Keen & Nettlefold, was earmarked for housing under the Smethwick Area Action Plan 2008.
The owners of Atlas Metals put the site up for sale in December 2012, after gaining the planning permissions.
The so called 'super-hospital' scheme has been beset with delays. Planning permission for the hospital had to be reapplied for after the delays arising from a Government-mandated review of private finance initiative contracts.
That was further complicated by the hospital trust's application for foundation trust status.
The board had initially approved the business case for the plan on September 30, 2010, but during the time taken to deal with the issues, a restructure within the NHS meant they had to reconsider the business case itself.
The scheme moved a step closer to reality in January when the NHS's Board of the National Trust Development Authority gave its own approval to the business case for the hospital.
It is now waiting on a final decision from the Treasury in the coming months. The hospital is due to take up 16 acres on Grove Lane but a further 31 acres of land between Grove Lane, Cranford Street, Heath Street and Dugdale Street is to be transformed and filled with other employment opportunities and housing schemes.
