Decaying former Sandwell social club to be converted into flats

Sandwell Council has put forward plans to convert the former Conservative Club in Union Street, Tipton, as it works towards turn the historic but decaying building into 15 much-needed flats. A two-storey extension would be built with the surrounding land cleared for landscaping and car parking.

The locally listed but long-empty former Conservative Club, which has now been vacant for some years, was bought by the council after its condition was rapidly deteriorating following a number of break-ins.

Plans to demolish a modern extension at the rear of the club to make way for the new flats were approved last year.

A statement included with the application said: “The development site will have two active frontages. The first of these addresses Union Street, an important route linking Tipton town centre, shops and railway station with Victoria Park and the communities that surround it.

“The second is towards the former Tipton Green Branch Canal, now laid out as a landscaped walkway, which forms the site’s northern edge.

The proposals will blend heritage conservation with new build elements, and the entire site falls within Tipton’s Factory Locks conservation area The former Conservative Club frontage onto Union Street is a locally listed heritage asset, and the building will be sensitively retained and adapted to form new apartments.

“Meanwhile, the rear part of the site will be developed as a small block of new apartments, also for social renting by the council.

“These will overlook the canal walkway and will complement similar apartments scheduled to be built directly opposite; both will offer active frontages onto the canal walkway and will contribute to public safety by introducing extra surveillance.”

Sandwell Council was given millions in ‘levelling up’ money from the government to invest in regenerating Tipton town centre with the main plan to demolish the 70-year-old council flats in Union Street for 55 new ones. However, initial plans to breathe new life into many empty and run-down shops were scrapped due to rising costs.

The canalside building was home to the Union Flour Mill from 1840 before becoming Tipton Conservative Club in 1909. The club closed suddenly in 2016.

A huge cannabis farm worth around £1 million was discovered at the abandoned club by police in June 2020. Fire broke out at the Union Street building just three months later.