A sports ground and former factory in Wolverhampton is set to be turned into warehouses next door to the city’s planned £76m i54.

The cricket ground and sports field belonging to the 11-acre former IMI site in Wobaston Road has been out of use for more than five years and the pavilion was destroyed by fire in 2006.

Under the plans for the site, dubbed Antar by developers Invista, two football pitches, a bowling green and cricket pitch will disappear as part of £10m of investment.

The plan is being recommended for approval at Wolverhampton City Council’s planning committee next week.

It comes despite only one confirmed occupier for the neighbouring i54, a training company using a two-acre site on a temporary basis.

Two other developers are in talks.

Wolverhampton is also facing a shortage of playing fields and open spaces, with schools set to be asked to open up after hours to give children somewhere to go.

But the city’s regeneration chief Councillor Paddy Bradley said the plan would help to bring jobs.

She said: “This site will be able to take advantage of the transport links from the M54.

“We will have to make sure that we find more open spaces.”

The plans first emerged in 2007 when planning chiefs said they wanted to limit the amount of warehouses to 43,000 sq ft.

But the developers have now asked for an unrestricted use of the 190,000 sq ft site for warehouses amid concerns that they will not be able to attract developers otherwise.

They have also asked for a condition that they fund other sports facilities elsewhere to be relaxed.

David Green, of agents Turley Associates, said: “We are asking for more flexibility over the conditions and believe that this will bring jobs to the area.”

The neighbouring i54, being funded by taxpayers through quango Advantage West Midlands, has already been back to planning committees to ask for the first phase to be tripled.