Apartments plan for disused cafe building in Walsall
A new apartment block is to be built on the site of a former café building which has sat empty for years.
Walsall Council planning officers have given the green light for The Substation building on Park Lane in Darlaston to be demolished to make way for the new development which will feature 20 one bedroom flats.
Applicant Park Lane Property Solutions Ltd said the block will be designed to fit in with the surrounding area and provide much-needed homes for the area.
Most of the building has sat empty for a number of years and the café, which used part of it, closed in early 2018.
The new block which will replace it will be three-storeys high and come with 22 car parking spaces and 20 cycle spaces.
Planning agent Geoff Perry Associates Ltd said: “Since the businesses on the site, which were not sustainable, closed, the site has remained vacant.
“Prior to their closure a large portion of the existing building was unused, meaning that the site was not operating to its full potential.
“The new apartment block will provide much needed housing to the local area. Additionally, an application which included the change of use of the site to a residential use (HMO scheme) was approved, subject to conditions in April 2017.
“The development will create its own identity within the area, respecting the character of its surroundings.
“Public and private realm will be clearly defined with the use of landscaping and external materials.
"The development will connect to the existing movement network, improve connectivity and provide new linkages to promote sustainable modes of transport.
“The development will have its own sense of place defined by the architectural detailing and visual form.
"Focal point features will address key locations, create identity and assist people to navigate through the development.”
