Fire at former West Bromwich social club believed to have been started deliberately
The fire spread across the entirety of the vacant building
A fire which caused substantial damage to a former social club in West Bromwich is believed to have been started deliberately, firefighters have said.
Seven fire crews and a hydraulic platform were called to tackle the blaze at the former West Bromwich Working Men's Social Club on Dudley Street over the weekend (October 17).
The fire spread across the entirety of the vacant building, leaving it extensively damaged.
A spokesperson for West Midlands Fire Service has now confirmed that the blaze is believed to have been started deliberately.
Drone pictures taken by the Express & Star show the extent of the destruction, with significant damage to the building following the incident.
The former social club has stood empty for many years, although plans were submitted in 2025 to demolish the building and replace it with a four-storey development containing 14 one and two-bedroom flats.
The planning application described the former working men's club as "dilapidated and untidy" and argued that it should be demolished on health and safety grounds.
It stated: "The existing building we believe should be removed on purely health and safety grounds.
"It is dilapidated and is a danger to those entering, also with a major vermin problem and the building being used for anti-social purposes, local residents are impacted in a negative way."