‘Decaying’ working men’s club in West Bromwich could be demolished for flats amid safety concerns for the building
A ‘dilapidated and untidy’ former working men’s club could be demolished to make way for flats as concerns are raised about the safety of the building.
New plans reveal the old West Bromwich Working Men’s Club in Dudley Street will be flattened and replaced with a four-storey block of flats.
The building is described as in a “serious state of disrepair” according to the application to Sandwell Council by ‘Mr Muneer’ and needed to be demolished “purely on health and safety grounds.”
A total of 14 one and two-bed flats would replace the old building.
The application also describes the former working men’s club, next to Dudley Street Guns Village tram stop, as having a vermin problem and a flooded basement.
A statement included with the application said: “The existing building we believe should be removed on purely health and safety grounds.
“It is dilapidated and is a danger to those entering, also with a major vermin problem and the building being used for anti-social purposes, local residents are impacted in a negative way.
“The external render has blown out in many areas and also many windows have failed or are broken.
“The single-story rear extension recently suffered a serious fire leaving the whole structure compromised.”
The application goes on to detail the extent of the damage to the long-time empty building
“Boundary walls have crumbled, or the pointing has, or is, failing,” the application continued. “Internally the whole building is in a serious state of disrepair. The basement is completely flooded, floors at ground floor and first floor are bowed, lifted or missing, some internal walls and ceilings are beyond repair due to water damage and a lack of maintenance.
“The roof has tiles that are broken or missing leading to the water damage on the first floor. “The structural integrity of the building is also compromised with cracks on both the internal and external faces of the building.
“The limited external areas have become overgrown and unkept. Some of the timber boundary fences have dried out, rotted and moved from their original positions.”
