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Homes planned for paper merchant site

A former Willenhall paper merchant depot could be transformed into new apartments and houses.

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Artist impression of planned homes on the former Middleton Paper Company site in Willenhall. PIC: Oakley Architects

Members of Walsall Council’s planning committee are expected to approve a proposal by Fitzpatrick Group and GreenSquareAccord to turn the former Eagle Works site into 51 new properties.

The homes – featuring 31 one and two bedroom apartments and 20 two, three and four bedroom houses – will be available as affordable rented properties.

As well as the new homes, there will be new car parking courts, communal garden and amenity areas to the apartments, private front and back gardens for the house and soft landscaping.

The buildings – at the junction of Somerford Place, Summer Street and Pinson Street – were previously home to the premises of Middleton Paper Company for more than half a century before the firm moved to a new location.

All the existing buildings on the site will be demolished to make way for the new apartments and houses.

The whole land  to be redeveloped also includes the former Shakespeare Inn site which is empty since the pub was demolished over a decade ago.

A report to committee said the proposals had prompted three objections based around parking and highways issues, loss of privacy, pollution and potential damage to existing properties by the demolition works.

But the highways authority raised no objections while officers said the proposals were not considered to have any undue overbearing on neighbours, while a construction programme could minimise the disruption during demolition works.

In the application, Oakley Architects said: “The site, which comprises two portions of land which lie either side of Summer Street formed the premises of the Middleton Paper Company, who have occupied the site for over 50 years.

“The company has moved its premises to a more suitable location in Longacres. As the site and buildings are now redundant, they are being acquired by the Fitzpatrick Group, on behalf of GreenSquareAccord for redevelopment into a new affordable housing development.

“The demolition of the existing industrial and commercial buildings and the clearance of the site provides the opportunity to comprehensively re-develop this brownfield site, which is located on one of the primary routes into Willenhall town centre.

“The intention is to create a very high quality and contemporary new flagship

affordable housing development, that achieves high levels of long-term sustainability, meeting the needs and expectations of the local community to create an attractive residential development.

“The design proposals have been developed over the past eight months in consultation with Walsall Council.”

A report to committee, which will meet on July 21, said: “It is considered that the likelihood of a use coming forward for the existing building in the future is very limited.

“The building would be in need of refurbishment to make it suitable for habitation again for either commercial or residential purposes.

“Together with the site being in a high flood risk area on balance it is considered that the conversion of the building would not be likely to be practical for a residential use.

“Therefore it is considered that the proposal to demolish the building and build flats on this part of the site is more sustainable in the longer term.

“Given that flood risk measures will be built into the new replacement flats to ensure that the development is not adversely affected by or increases the risk

of flooding to nearby properties.”

It added: “Officers have worked with the applicant and their agents positively and creatively to provide an opportunity to address the concerns raised by the council and by consultees and interested parties.

“A satisfactory way forward has been negotiated and the amendments have been submitted which overcome previous concerns to the extent that the application can now be supported.

“Taking into account the above factors it is considered that the application should be recommended for approval subject to conditions.”