Plan to demolish 160-year-old factory in Dudley after flats scheme turned down

Plans have been lodged to demolish a 160-yearold factory after plans to convert it into flats were refused permission.

Danielle Hunt wants to demolish the locally-listed former ironworks in Churchfield Street, Dudley, freeing the land up for redevelopment.

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Miss Hunt had previously applied for permission to extend the building to create six flats, but the scheme was rejected by both the council and the planning inspectorate. Planning inspector Simon Rawle said the scale of the planned extension was excessive and out of keeping with the historic character of the building.

The building was built in 1866, and was originally used as a sheet iron works. By the mid-20th century it had been taken over by clothing manufacturer W Devonport, which occupied it until it closed in 1987, following the death of owner William Devonport.

Since then the building has been largely empty, and it was sold at auction 10 years ago as a potential development site.

Mr Rawle had said the property had been locally listed ‘in recognition of its contribution to illustrating the area’s industrial past as well as the architectural interest of its polychromatic brickwork’.

“The front elevation, with its loosely neo-classical pediment, pilasters and matrix of sub-pilasters and string courses, give it real presence in the street,” he said.

Mr Rawle acknowledged in his 2022 judgement that the building had suffered from water ingress, vandalism and neglect, but said that even in its distressed state it made a ‘significant contribution to the character and appearance of the area’.

Permission had been granted to convert the building into three flats, but this had not proved viable, said Mr Rawle.

The new application is purely to demolish the building, and fence the site off, and does not make reference to potential future use.