Plans for an HMO opposite a Black Country museum unveiled

A planning application has been submitted to convert a locally listed building in Willenhall into a House of Multiple Occupation.

Eight en-suite bedrooms are proposed for 75 New Road, formerly Gravestock and Owen Accountants.

If approved, applicant Tristar Homes Ltd will carry out the demolition of the existing outbuilding, construction of a new rear extension, and provide four car parking spaces, bicycle store and shared amenity space.

Parking will be located at the rear, accessed by a roadway which passes under the building.

The property is listed as a non-designated heritage asset, meaning it has a degree of heritage significance.

Directly opposite is the National Lock Museum, which is a Grade II listed building.

Gravestock and Owen Accountants closed around 2014. A former planning application was submitted to Walsall Council in 2020 to convert the existing building into five apartments.

It was refused by the council due to insufficient amenity space and because the design would have had too great of an impact on the non-designated heritage asset.

The applicant appealed the refusal to the planning inspectorate but was unsuccessful.