Wolverhampton wasteland and former homeless camp set to become car park

The prime spot on the corner of Victoria Street and Cleveland Street has become overgrown with weeds and unsightly after being left empty for more than a year.

In February high winds blew away hoarding surrounding the site, exposing a camp with pitched tents where some of the city's homeless sought shelter. They were thrown off the land after being discovered.

Now the site, just under the size of a football pitch, is to be levelled and transformed into a car park.

Businessman Paul Windridge welcomed the development, saying the site had become a blot on the landscape. It will provide 15 much-needed parking spaces for shoppers and office workers.

In February a small community of homeless people were discovered to have moved on to the land.

Four tents were pitched up, with loose bricks used to stabilise them. There were also sleeping bags and mattresses used by other rough sleepers and lots of litter strewn around.

The makeshift camp was exposed after the strong winds and the police were called to remove the occupants.

Mr Windridge, a director of the Cleveland Street car park opposite, said: "The site has been an eyesore for too long and it is good news that it will now be cleaned up and will serve a useful purpose.

"There was talk that it would be developed as student accommodation, amongst other things, but a new car park will be a huge improvement.

"The shops in Victoria Street were demolished some time ago and the land has been left to go wild. I've now been approached to help manage it.

"Wolverhampton is undergoing a complete refurbishment, with the redevelopment of the Mander Centre, the new youth zone The Way and we're going to get a new train station.

"Wolverhampton is enjoying a huge boost at the moment and news of this site being cleaned up and turned into a car park is another step n the right direction."

Work on clearing the site is expected to take place in the new year.