New homes plan moves closer for Wolverhampton site labelled 'the pits'

Members of Wolverhampton Council’s cabinet agreed plans for the first phase of the Brewers Yard development at a meeting on Wednesday.

This phase will involve the demolition of “outdated” council buildings in Culwell Street – which currently house Meals on Wheels and vehicle maintenance teams – to make way for 780 apartments, as well as retail and commercial units.

Services currently based at Culwell Street will be moved to premises in Hickman Avenue, next to the existing Wholesale Market, which will also undergo a refurbishment.

It is hoped the whole Brewers Yard scheme, which will involve two neighbouring sites, will create around 1,300 new homes.

Councillor Steve Evans, cabinet member for city environment and climate change, described the existing Culwell Street depot as “the pits”.

He added the scheme would be funded mainly through grants but said there could be a need for prudent borrowing.

Councillor Evans said: “Culwell Street is where our fleet depots are repaired and maintained. Our Meals on Wheels service is based there.

“It was built in the 60s, it is very outdated. It wouldn’t be unfair to say it is the pits. It’s a struggle and the guys do a fantastic job working on the vehicles in a very outdated site.

“What we are trying to achieve is brownfield first for us. Any new homes, we should look at a brownfield site first and only. We’re not interested in looking at green space.

“We’re putting an ambitious project together that protects green spaces and actually creates 780 living units part of the wider Brewers Yard plan for 1,300 houses.

“City centre living is not to be ignored. We already have some 10,000 people who live there.

“This is an excellent opportunity to put something in place that creates thousands of units and 100s of jobs in construction.

“It is estimated when its complete those 1,300 houses will be worth some £250 million. Just think what it does to the local economy. Those people no doubt spending their income within.

“It encourages new businesses to spring up. This is a really good plan because it means in order to create those 780 apartments and new businesses we’d have to relocate to a new place.

“We could do nothing, which means no opportunity to build and it means we’d have a very outdated pit where we look after our fleet.

“We could try and spend a lot of money doing it up or we could relocate, which will free up that site.

“I think there are some massive pluses. We’ve known for some time Wolverhampton is a city that is transforming and is on the move. It’s a city that makes things happen.”

Councillor Evans added that they would be looking to do a site clearance in the first quarter of 2023 and then prepare the land for development.