Former building society headquarters could become 100 West Bromwich flats
A building society’s former headquarters, which has stood empty for a decade, could now be turned into more than 100 flats.
New plans to redevelop Society House, the former home of West Bromwich Building Society, into 101 one-and-two-bed flats have been submitted to Sandwell Council by developer Brickstone.
The building has stood empty since 2016 after the building society relocated to new offices in the town’s Providence Place.
The seven-storey art deco building, which was purpose-built for West Bromwich Building Society in the 1960s, was purchased by Empire Developments for £3million a decade ago and received planning permission to convert the building into 92 flats in 2017 and again in 2018 for 98 flats.
The firm collapsed in 2024, reportedly owing £500,000, with plans to redevelop the landmark West Bromwich building grinding to a halt.
Work had started in 2022, with the building stripped back to its shell, but remains empty.
A statement included with the application said: “The scheme will retain as much of the building envelope and core structure as possible, including the central stair and lift core as established in the mezzanine planning application.
“All units are required to meet the nationally described space standards (NDSS), with layouts based on plans that strip the building back to its structural frame while maximising unit numbers.
“The majority of the apartments will be one-bedroom units, with two-bedroom layouts introduced in areas where circulation or spatial constraints make single-bedroom layouts unworkable.
“The cladding is to be cleaned as part of the construction phase, as well as new windows being installed to facilitate the proposals, whilst helping to achieve current building regulations and standards.
“In terms of appearance, the design process has sought to impact in a very minimal way.”
