Plans submitted for 17 new affordable rent homes on Wolverhampton estate

An area of public open space in Penn has been earmarked for the mix of semi-detached and terraced properties.

Housing bosses are awaiting planning approval for the range of one, two, three and four-bedroom affordable rent council residences on land off Oakley Road, adjacent to Reedham Gardens.

A statement from architects BM3 Services to the council’s housing development project manager Raj Mal, who made the application, said the site was suitable for development as the surrounding area is mainly residential.

“The overall development space measures approximately 0.58 hectares and has been identified in the Wolverhampton Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment (SHLAA) as suitable for residential development, to help meet government targets for the timely delivery of new housing.

“Also, the design of the properties reflects the local authority’s construction specification and design criteria for new council dwellings 2020. The site was originally due to be developed for 19 affordable homes in 2019, and a planning application was submitted and approved for a mixture of one, two and three-bedroom properties on the site,” it said.

“This proposal is no longer viable due to a change in building regulations coming into effect, which provided us with an opportunity to review the design and layout of the site and improve the arrangement of the homes.

“The area surrounding Reedham Gardens has a mix of residential, commercial and service properties, including a library and a sports massage and foot treatment centre. Wider afield it is mainly residential.

“This development will not only provide more housing and car parking spaces for the neighbourhood, it will also contribute to the promotion of sustainability and deliver another high-quality development to Wolverhampton,” said the statement. Council bosses will make a decision on the plans at a later date.