Plans to build 60 homes on site of former gym

Plans have been submitted for 60 new homes on the site of a former gym and warehouse in Wolverhampton.

The steel-framed building on Craddock Street in Whitmore Reans was destroyed by fire in December 2021.

It once belonged to the Grasshopper baby clothing company before becoming an Xercise4Less gym in 2014, but at the time of the blaze it was being used to store furniture.

Housing developer Stonebond seeks permission to build a mix of one-bed flats and new family homes at the site.

The unoccupied site had appeared in the council's housing plans since the early 1990s without action, most recently being highlighted as a potential development opportunity that could yield 48 new homes.

Last year, City of Wolverhampton Council was overruled by a government inspector over a move to install a 5G tower in front of a new housing estate earmarked for the location.

The council blocked a proposal to install the 20-metre tower on the grounds it would be "to the detriment" of future residents.

But despite admitting the tower would "harm the character" of the area, a government planning inspector overruled the council, allowing the move to go ahead.

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

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