The opening of new stores in Walsall Wood has always been an event. Photo taken from ‘Memories of Old Walsall Wood’ by Bill Mayo & John Sale.
A number of friends and readers have recently asked me what’s going on on the old car sales lot at Street’s Corner where, after a long period of abandonment, hoardings have gone up and work seems to be underway.
Permission was granted for the site back in 2010 for the construction of a shop, with flats above it and parking. The application also included some junction improvements. The planning application is listed on Walsall Council’s planning interactive service as 10/1605/F ‘Erection of retail store with two apartments above and associated parking’. I was going to link to the plans and feature the details in this post for all to see – sadly, the documentation appears to have been lost from the application, which is a shame.
What is suggested is a reasonably large, plain modern store. Rumour in the village at the time of the application suggested it was to be a Co-op, but I find that unlikely since a new one is soon to open in the former Spring Cottage at Shelfield, although it would be good to see the Co-op back in The Wood after all these years. An alcohol sales license has been applied for. It’ll be nice for the Tesco Express over the road to get some competition. Every little helps.
I’m kicking myself over this as I studied the documents and intended to blog it when the application was made, but never got around to it. I wish I had now.
These houses have been derelict for at least a decade to my knowledge. A terrible waste, really.
Meanwhile, the nearby row of derelict flats and terraces on the Brownhills Road which I posted about way back in 2009 also look set to be redeveloped. After a huge period of dereliction and decay, permission has been granted for the razing of the former Accord Housing Association flats and adjacent derelict semis, and subsequent construction of a new close of ten homes constructed in their place.
The proposed development as viewed from Brownhills Road. Image grabbed from ‘Street Scene’ document submitted with the application. Click the image to see the original. PDF file, Adobe Reader required.
The planning application for this development can be viewd online. It’s 11/1226/FL Demolition of existing properties and construction of 10 houses, including new access. I welcome this development – it looks pleasant enough, and anything that rids us of the awful eyesore of the derelict buildings is to be applauded. Information on the application can be viewed by clicking the following links – most are PDF files and will require Adobe Reader, but I’m sure you’ve already got that.
The proposed site layout - note the date on the drawing of March 2006. Has this really been knocking around for six years? From documents supplied with the planning application. Click for a full-size version.
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Yep, I’m often depressed by old buildings being demolished, but there’s nothing special about those, and they’ve been a mess for as long as I’ve lived in Walsall Wood.
I’d also like to see a Co-op there: potentially a better site than tesco, with parking that isn’t monopolised by the gym, and Co-op is better anyway, but you do have a point: between Clayhanger and Shelfield, there’s 2 quite close by.
A friend on mine that works for the Co-op advises me that it will be a Co-op store at the old Saturn motors site.
HI Bob
thanks for your excellent detailed article. A good little development . The new houses look good and I am pleased that the two in good order are being retained, for personal reasons. The old Co-op photo..newly self-service..is interesting. I wonder if any readers know who worked in that shop ” down the Wood ” at that time.
cheers
David
I think the Brownhills Road residential development has been delayed because the owner of the properties is staying in one of Her Majesty’s hotels. This is the reason the local authority are unable to get the owner to tidy the site up. That’s what I heard anyway.
hi Bob, only word of mouth but i heard that it was going to be a co-op too,and the local pharmacy is going to be within it, and then the chemist will become yet another funeral directors. True….i have no idea?????
There was a planning application put up on the fence railings of the old library, for a general store with flats/apartments above on that site.But that was some time ago.
It is a shame to see how those houses have deteriorated over the years.i used to go and play with a school friend Kay, who lived in one of them many years ago and a rare treat was a threepenny bit to spend on sweets at the shop in one of the houses there.
I’d been told it was going to be the Co-Op. They are expanding their portfolio quite a bit at the moment…
Good to see that our pressure over those houses is paying off, but too often planning is granted and building is not taking place (old St John’s school, transport cafe, old library site to name a few). We will watch this space.
Wishing you all a very happy Christmas and best wishes for 2012.
Hi Bob
this sad little row of cottages once boasted;- an electricians, Mr Collins; a general shop ,Mrs Hancox, and behind the cottages there was a slaughterhouse! One of the cottages’ residents , Mr Warrington,was one Walsall Wood’s well-known slaughtermen. It will be interesting to see what remains of the slaughterhouse , if anything, when the redelevopment begins. I hope that this little part of Walsall Wood’s history does not get lost in the process!
Best wishes
David
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Hi bob
just wondering if you can shed any light on the closing of the co op on the a5 brownhills as the staff have commented on the lack of shops that are that side of the a5 and the large community of people both old and young that like myself have come to rely on the shop and friendly staff .
do you no or can you tell me how to find out if the shop is being taken over and will it be re staffed or keep the old staff .
cheers bob keep up the good work
hi the old photo of the crowd outside the coop was at coppice corner not streets corner