Homes approved for ‘significantly contaminated’ former Wolverhampton battery factory

New proposals will see 31 new homes built on the site of the former G&P Batteries factory in Grove Street, Heath Town, Wolverhampton after receiving the backing of City of Wolverhampton Council.

The ‘affordable’ homes are being built by developer Wonderful Homes in partnership with housing association Black Country Housing Group.

The application said the redevelopment of the land would improve the “outlook, biodiversity, and safety” of the canal and “provide lasting benefits.”

A report by the council outlining the decision said the work would “regenerate a long-standing derelict site, deliver much-needed housing, and provide employment benefits during construction.”

“It will also enhance the setting and natural surveillance of the adjacent canal,” the report continued.

“The proposed layout and design of the new homes include adequate access arrangements, satisfactory on-site parking and shared amenity spaces.

“The scale, massing, and external appearance of the dwellings are appropriate and integrate well with the surrounding built and natural environment.

“Separation distances ensure that the residential amenity of existing and future occupants is maintained.

Furthermore, the design safeguards the operation of nearby businesses.”

The council said conditions would be included that ensured ground contamination was removed and the site was drained to reduce flood risk.

The planning application said the land was “significantly” contaminated because of its industrial history and investigations had found “widespread” pollutants including lead and asbestos.

The site is being cleaned up through money from the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) and work must begin before March next year for the Black Country Housing Group to access Homes England funding.

“Since closure in 1998, the site has remained vacant and has stood as a derelict brownfield landholding for over 25 years, blighting the surrounding area,” the application said.

“Demolition and clearance of the former buildings occurred in 2008, but large mounds of concrete debris remain.

“It has since become overgrown with vegetation, and the site investigation has identified various ground contamination issues.”

Large parts of the Wyrley and Essington canal have been resurfaced and is well-used by walkers and cyclists and the application said the former battery factory “presented an unmanaged and unattractive edge” to the canal “dominated by old tin metal fencing, dense scrub, self-seeded saplings, and mounds of demolition debris.”

“Gaps in the fence […] result in trespassing, health and safety risks and anti-social activities [and] the lack of natural surveillance contributes to safety concerns and anti-social behaviour,” the application continued.

City of Wolverhampton Council approved plans to build 56 flats on the site in 2021 but they were never built.

This had followed plans in previous years to build housing on the former factory site including two proposals in 2006 for 52 and 64 flats and further applications for 29 townhouses that were eventually approved in 2013 but also never carried out.