New houses to replace old council office

The former district offices were deemed 'surplus to requirements' in 2022

A former council office plagued by vandalism and fly-tipping is set to be knocked down to make way for new affordable homes.

City of Wolverhampton Council has approved its own planning application to demolish the old Parkfield housing office on Rough Hills Road in Rough Hills Estate.

The former district offices were deemed "surplus to requirements" by the authority in 2022, and having been empty become a hotspot for "attempted break-ins" and "damage to roof tiles".

Six three-bed homes are set to replace the building constructed in the 1990s.

Councillors agreed to get rid of the building in 2022 after little interest was shown in moving other council services there.

Council reports from that year show that planning officers recommended the site be used for two-storey apartment blocks, but a planning application for three-bed homes was submitted instead.

Wolverhampton Homes, which manages the city’s social housing, moved some of its repair workers into the building in 2002 where they stayed until 2019 before relocating to nearby Tarmac Road.

'Sizeable investment'

A report outlining the council’s decision said: “The proposals would be a sizeable investment and would create new good quality homes at this location. The proposals appear in scale and character with this setting. There would be no adverse impact on visual amenity.

“On balance, the massing and position of the proposals would be appropriate and there would be no undue adverse impact on neighbour amenity or privacy.”

More than 80 homes on the Rough Hills Estate are to be "retrofitted" by the council to boost energy efficiency, including new wall insulation, double glazing, new doors, more loft insulation, improved ventilation and re-roofing.

Last year, the government awarded just over £5m to the City of Wolverhampton Council to help retrofit social housing.

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations.