Walsall's 'most contaminated land in Europe' set for revamp

Several warehouses will be built at the site of a former copper works in Walsall

A £100m redevelopment of a former industrial site in Walsall labelled "the most contaminated land in Europe" has been approved.

The area was home to a copper works and the land is riddled with contaminants, according to a council report.

A deal has been agreed to clear and clean up the land and build several warehouses, creating about 1,000 jobs.

Walsall Council's planning committee approved the proposals and work is expected to start in the autumn.

The area, off Reservoir Place, housed James Bridge Copper Works until it closed in 1999 and has been derelict since then, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

While the 44-acre (18 hectare) site is contaminated, it is not currently harmful to the surrounding area.

The land is riddled with gases and contaminants from previous industrial uses, according to a council report

The latest deal, called Phoenix 10, has been struck between developers HBD, the local authority and Homes England, the government's housing accelerator.

The existing structures will be demolished, the land cleaned and about 620,000 sq ft (57,600 sq m) employment space created.

At the planning meeting on Thursday, resident Hayley Dolan raised concerns about the clean-up releasing pollutants into the atmosphere and water supply.

She added many residents would also lose much needed car parking spaces.

But the committee said the redevelopment had far more positives and unanimously backed the scheme.

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Council leader Mike Bird said: "It is the most contaminated site in Europe and I have been fighting this one for more than 20 years."

He said it would create much needed jobs for after the pandemic and "jobs in sectors we may not have at present".

Labour group leader Aftab Nawaz said he understood residents' concerns but added the development "by far outweighs any objections".