One by one, these dwellings have fallen into disuse...

This is a heads up, and also an appeal for information. These dilapidated dwellings are located on Brownhills Road at Street’s Corner, opposite the Walsall Wood school – you can see their actual location from the picture’s Panoramio page, accessed by clicking on the image above. The two houses in the centre – 20 and 22 – have been derelict for a very long time, and have had several fires during their period of decline. The block with the passageway, on the right hand side were converted a decade or so ago into flats, and now appear to be completely empty, save for the single, ivy-covered house at the end. Bizarrely, the white half of the building on the left also appears to be still in use.

I’m interested in the history of this situation – who owns these houses, and why have they been left to rot? Are they all in the possession of the same owner? I’m aware that in 2006 a planning application was submitted and refused to build two blocks of apartments on the site of the grey house in the middle (06/0256/FL/E4), but there appears to be nothing else indicated for the site. In a time when affordable housing is in such short supply, this looks to me like a terrible waste, as well as being an eyesore and a magnet for vandals.

I’m prompted to ask, because a couple of weeks ago, I noted a group of besuited men clustered round a high value sports car on the pavement right outside these buildings, clearly discussing them. Is something about to happen?

That’d be brownhillsbob at googlemail dot com, in confidence if you prefer. Cheers.