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New proposals would see 31 homes built on the site of the former G&P Batteries factory in Grove Street, Heath Town. The ‘affordable’ homes would be built by developer Wonderful Homes in partnership with housing association Black Country Housing Group. The applicant said the redevelopment of the land would improve the “outlook, biodiversity, and safety” of the canal and “provide lasting benefits". A statement included with the application said: “The proposed redevelopment of the former Grove Street battery factory site provides a deliverable, policy-compliant scheme to remediate and bring back into productive use a long-derelict brownfield site that has remained unused for over 25 years. “It delivers affordable housing, canal-side environmental improvements and an approach that aligns with local and strategic regeneration objectives.” 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 continued. “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 are 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. 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.
