Used car giant Carcraft today announced plans to close its Wednesbury base, to be replaced by a 200-home housing estate.

Owners Pennine Property Investments Ltd have submitted plans to Sandwell Council to revamp its 12.8 acre site in Darlaston Road.

Bosses at Carcraft say they want to move to an alternative site in the Black Country, yet to be identified.

They say 51 workers employed at the plant will move to the new site, which it is hoped will be more visible from the M6.

Documents submitted with the plans reveal the growing popularity of the internet has hit trade as fewer customers are travelling to car warehouses to browse, instead researching their car choice online.

Businesses like Carcraft were switching to many, smaller sites instead, the proposals say.

The Darlaston Road site will be transformed into between 130 and 200 homes.

It was previously an iron works, engineering works and colliery. Ten capped mine shafts are dotted on or around the site.

A planning statement prepared by property consultants GVA Grimley Ltd states: “The Carcraft site on Darlaston Road is currently trading. However, the owners consider that its operational and estate management aspirations may be better met on a different site, with better access and visibility from the motorway network.

“In due course, Carcraft plans to locate to alternative premises in Sandwell, The Black Country.

“It is hoped that existing staff will be employed in the new location.”

“The requirement for used car supermarkets to display very large numbers of cars on single sites has reduced.

“Instead, car supermarket operators are now turning to larger numbers of smaller sites, located evenly throughout large centres of the population.”

Owners have applied for outline permission for a maximum of 200 homes with a new access road and landscaping for the site. Apartments could also be added to meet first time buyer demand if needed.