Express & Star

Jeff Bonser's old factory finally set for demolition

Walsall FC chairman Jeff Bonser’s historic former factory will be levelled in a matter of days as part of a multi-million pound regeneration project.

Published
Jeff Bonser's old bathroom making factory sits behind the mural to commemorate Walsall FC's first trip to Wembley

The zinc alloy castings and bathroom fittings company, called JW Bonser Ltd, has been derelict since the firm collapsed in 2015 which saw the last 20 remaining jobs go with it.

Now the unsafe building, on Albert Street near the town centre, which ironically sits behind the eye-catching Walsall FC mural to commemorate the club’s first trip to Wembley, will be bulldozed from Monday.

Walsall Council, which acquired the factory premises in 2007, confirmed the demolition was part of the £400 million Gigaport scheme which aims to create 127,000 square metres of business and office space along the Walsall ring road.

Jeff Bonser

Regeneration chief Councillor Lee Jeavons, said: “We are delighted to have reached this stage in the development.

"There is an opportunity for us to transform this site for the benefit of the people who live, work and shop in Walsall town centre as part of the Gigaport project.

"The building has been empty for some time and we are pleased to be moving forward with plans for redevelopment."

A neighbouring building on private land will also be bulldozed as part of the work which will see Albert Street closed off until October.

Mr Bonser sold his company to Leicester-based Dalby Holdings in 2003.

It collapsed in March 2015 and was formally dissolved a month later.

The council's building control officers went in to inspect the premises - the Bonser and Doran buildings - last year but declared they were in a 'very poor condition' and lodged an application for them to be levelled last September.

The Doran building was even deemed to be in a 'dangerous' state.

Now nearly a year on and one of the remnants of Walsall's industrial past is on the cusp of being ground into dust.

The Gigaport project was announced several years ago.

It has already seen the demolition of the Albion Tannery building on Hatherton Street nearby.