City eyesore to be redeveloped

An eyesore former car dealership in Wolverhampton is to be demolished within weeks and redeveloped.

It comes as an artist's impression was released revealing how the run-down Charles Clarke site will look following a proposed £8million transformation.

Owners of the derelict former Rover car dealership in Chapel Ash want to banish its tarnished reputation and create a new era for the site with a contemporary building, containing 48 apartments and 6,000sq ft of retail space with floor-to-ceiling glass walls.

The transformation plans, which have been re-drawn several times following negotiations with Wolverhampton City Council, will be submitted to the authority within days.

Talks are already being held with a number of supermarket chains about transforming the former dealership. The prominent building has been boarded up since closing in 2001.

Wolverhampton property mogul Kultar Dale, of city-based Dale Investments, took over the site at the end of 2008.

Mr Dale said: "The plans will be submitted within the next 10 days, so hopefully we will be able to start the demolition work in the next four weeks or so. There is 6,000sq ft of retail space on the ground floor and we are in talks with a number of parties about setting up inside.

"The apartments, which will be mainly two-bedroom, will be targeted at students. If planning permission is given the whole thing should take around six to nine months to complete."