Demolition go-ahead for former Wolverhampton market site

The site is being cleared and redeveloped into a new ‘mixed use’ complex that will accommodate the council’s new vehicle fleet services workshop.

The land, in Hickman Avenue, East Park, had been home to the wholesale produce market since 1972.

Proposals to demolish the exisiting buildings and convert the area into a multi-purpose facility have now been granted outline permission.

As well as the newly converted wholesale market and the workshop, it will also provide parking for all associated vehicles, passenger transport parking, storage and shared office space for staff.

The workshop and meals on wheels operation is being relocated from Culwell Street, next to the University of Wolverhampton’s Springfield Campus. The move will clear the site for the first phase of the upcoming Brewers Yard development – 780 new flats alongside retail and commercial units.

A further 110 construction jobs will be created through the move to Hickman Avenue and the council’s carbon footprint will be reduced by 215 tonnes of CO2, supporting its programme to deliver a complete fleet of electric vehicles.

Councillor Steve Evans, cabinet member for city ennvironment and climate change, said: “This moves us a step closer to the regeneration of two strategically important city sites and will deliver huge benefits in terms of jobs, businesses and homes to help rejuvenate our city centre.

“The proposed relocation of our fleet services operation will make it more efficient and the redevelopment of the Hickman Avenue site will provide a major uplift to the city’s wholesale market.

“This redevelopment also forms part of the council’s climate change commitment, enabling the transition of its combustion engine fleet to electric vehicles (EV),” he added.

A statement from Halliday Meecham Architects, who carried out the design work for the development, said: “The relocation is seen as supporting the economic growth of the food sector and investing in much-needed facilities for the council’s fleet and towards the electricification of the vehicles.

“The site is opposite the locally listed East Park and sits in an industrial context outside of the city centre. It accommodates the existing wholesale market building and a number of council facilities including passenger transport parking, street lighting, road sign, salt grit, cleaning and catering storage and offices.

“Refurbishing the existing market building and reusing it was evaluated. However, it was not possible to keep the existing building and have the fleet services workshop there due to the size of the site and location of the existing building.

“Vehicles regularly accessing the site include articulated lorries, refuse collection vehicles. coaches, minibuses, vans and various smaller vehicles. The existing wholesale market building will remain in operation throughout construction work,” added the statement.

The modernisation plans have been developed in consultation with market traders and other existing users of the Hickman Avenue site.