Homes plan for redundant tennis club site in Bilston

Bilston Tennis Club, on the corner of Villiers Avenue and Harper Road, closed down in 2016 and the land occupied by the sports club’s courts has not been used since.

The council is now looking to clear the site, which is badly overgrown with bushes and weeds, to make way for the new two and three bedroom semi-detached properties.

A planning application for ten new Passivhaus houses – homes that provide a high level of comfort using very little energy – on the site was submitted and approved last year. However, the proposal is no longer viable due to upgraded building regulations, and the council now plans to develop properties that meet the new Future Homes Standard instead.

A statement from BM3 Architecture, acting on behalf of the council, said: “We believe that the proposed development will provide not only an attractive appearance but also a better use of site, more housing and car park spaces complementing the rich historical character of its context.

“It will contribute to the promotion of sustainability and deliver a new high quality development to Wolverhampton. The submitted proposals are therefore recommended to the local authority for their approval.”

Bilston Tennis Club, one of the oldest clubs of its kind in the Black Country with more than 100 members at its peak, closed due to falling numbers and relinquished its lease on the site soon after.

In June 2017 the council approved plans to redevelop the land under the Housing Revenue Account (HRA).

Sport England and the Lawn Tennis Association agreed to the site being used for 100 per cent affordable housing, subject to a payment of £40,000 from HRA funds to mitigate for the loss of the tennis courts. The cash was used to improve tennis courts at East Park.

An allowance of 14 private parking spaces on the site, accessed from Villiers Avenue avoiding existing street trees, is included in the application.

Council bosses will make a decision on the plans in the near future.