Goodyear: 200 more homes planned at former Wolverhampton factory site

Developers St Modwen is submitting plans to start a new phase of development at the site off Bushbury Lane, including the construction of a further 230 homes.

But Wolverhampton Council is reluctant to hand over land for housing at the expense of creating jobs by using the site for factories and industrial units, insisting a balance must be struck.

City council leader Roger Lawrence warned: 'They will need to make a strong case.'

The major brownfield site has been gradually transformed, since 2009, into a housing estate with shops and leisure and community facilities. So far 424 homes have been built there.

St Modwen says the outline residential plans will 'add to the ongoing regeneration' of the site and help to address the continuing demand for housing in the area. Whilst the factory itself will be demolished, the landmark clock tower will be retained as a reference to the heritage of the site.

The plan also includes improved facilities for Bushbury Lane Academy, formerly Oxley Primary School.

A public consultation on the latest site application will be held at the school in Ripon Road, off Bushbury Lane, next week. St. Modwen will present the proposal and invite the views of residents and interested parties.

But Councillor Lawrence said: "I think they need to make a strong case to move from empty industrial land to housing.

"It is an important balance we have to strike as we move forward. We welcome more housing to the city but we must make sure we do not damage any chance to revive industry.

"The profit from the housing must also be ploughed back in to communities. There is much to consider for the planning committee."

St Modwen liaised with council education chiefs over the proposed access improvements to the school. The public consultation will take place on Tuesday, May 9, between 4.30-7.30pm.

Company planning manager Richard Hickman said: "Consulting with the public is a vital part of the planning process and we would like residents and interested parties to attend the consultation to give us their comments and feedback on the development prior to us submitting a planning application for the site."

The firm's £1.7 billion national portfolio of over 100 projects includes the transformation of the former Longbridge car plant in Birmingham and the regeneration of New Covent Garden Market in London.

Goodyear, which was once the European headquarters for the US tyre giant, occupying a half-mile stretch of Stafford Road, made tyres for cars, trucks, tractors and Formula 1 racing cars.

Workers marked the end of an era in December(2016) as the last order was met at the huge plant in Bushbury Lane and they walked out of the gates for the final time.