Heritage centre bid on former restaurant

A Grade I listed 13th Century house in the Black Country could be opened to the public as a heritage centre, museum and wedding venue following a multi-million pound refit.

Plans by Sandwell Council could see the Manor House in West Bromwich open its doors on May Day Bank Holiday next year.

The building is currently empty after Marston's closed the pub and restaurant at the Hall Green Road site last summer.

A 25-year lease, due to run until 2015, was taken out by Wolverhampton & Dudley Breweries – later to become Marston's – in 1990 but the brewery will terminate it next month.

The council will then take on responsibility for the building, described as the borough's most important heritage site, and will receive an undisclosed settlement from the company which will be poured back into renovation.

The authority has employed consultants The Petersham Group to come up with the best way forward for the site and believes that conversion into a visitor attraction or museum is the best way forward, with the May Bank Holiday as an opening date.

The plans will be discussed by the strategic resources cabinet advisory team tomorrow.