Cavendish House: Deal to demolish 'monument to stagnation' agreed

Andy Street has stepped in to provide £700,000 to break the deadlock over the derelict building overlooking Duncan Edwards Way in Dudley.

The demolition of the vandalised former Inland Revenue offices will pave the way for the £82 million Portersfield retail, leisure and retail and residential development.

West Midlands Combined Authority, headed by Mr Street, has stepped in to ensure the demolition goes ahead. Approval was granted last year but it is believed a wrangle involving the developer has held things up.

The mayor said: “Dudley Council has been determined to do this. At the combined authority we have worked with them and the developers to bring this to fruition and we do now have an agreement in place to do that demolition.

“Cavendish House is a monument to stagnation and it needs to go. It then paves the way for the redevelopment of the town centre, which is stimulated by the redevelopment of the bus station and the Metro.

“I hope residents will see this as a sign of progress. The critical point is that we bring in the private sector developers.”

Dudley Council leader Patrick Harley said: “This is long overdue and I think it is something that every citizen of Dudley will relish, the fact that this horrendous eyesore is at last about to come down.”

Mr Harley added that he wanted the demolition to begin “almost immediately”.

Getting rid of the run-down and vandalised Cavendish House, on a key site in the heart of the town centre with its smashed windows clearly visible, has proved impossible for successive council administrations over the last decade.

Thousands of drivers pass the run-down building along the Duncan Edwards bypass every day.

The Express & Star revealed the Portersfield development would no longer include a cinema and large supermarket, with the focus instead shifting more towards homes and student accommodation.