Offices in Blackheath town centre will be converted into shops - but council split over new flats

The building on the corner of Long Lane and Park Street West in Blackheath will be transformed into three new shops and five flats after the plans received the seal of approval from Sandwell Council.

But while the council approved plans to convert the existing building into new shop units and flats, it rejected plans by Takhar Holdings to build a new detached two-storey block with four flats on land behind the offices.

The council’s planners said the new building would be too cramped and would not fit in well with its surroundings.

Another application for a roof extension to make space for four new flats as well as converting a two-storey storeroom into two new flats is yet to be decided by Sandwell Council.

New shopfronts and roller shutters would also be installed after a separate application was also approved by the council.

In a report outlining the objection for the new block of flats, the council said: “The adjacent uses are both commercial in nature with the ground floor of application property also being converted into four commercial units.

“The site is narrow in nature and has no visual connection to the street scene.

“Proposed residents would be exposed to existing commercial activities of adjacent uses.

“Due to the characteristics of the proposed site, the proposal would form a cramped form of development which is over intensive in nature and would provide residents with a poor living environment.

“Furthermore, building on the car parking area would remove parking, delivering and servicing space for the commercial units on the ground floor.”