The West Bromwich depot will remain in place after the ‘inadequate’ flats plan was rejected

A plan to demolish an old warehouse that has stood empty for more than a decade and replace it with flats has been rejected by a council. An application to demolish a former tool shop in Walsall Street, West Bromwich and build 12 flats has been rejected by planners at Sandwell Council due to “insufficient information” in the application.

The council said Phoenix Mason’s application did not contain enough detail about the three-storey building’s design, parking or drainage and flood risk, meaning it could not properly assess the plans. The designs presented were criticized by the council, with some of the flats being labeled “very oppressive” and “restrictive”.

The views from some apartments, and the lack of windows in others, would create an “extremely poor living environment”, the authority said. The warehouse has been empty since 2013 after Midway Tools moved to Telford.

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Council planners said: “Insufficient information was submitted with the application… to adequately assess the impact of the proposed development in terms of flood risk mitigation, highways issues and safety and the overall design and quality of the proposed residential development. In the absence of this information, it was not possible to demonstrate that the proposal would comply with (policy) and/or other material considerations.”

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An application to demolish a neighboring church in Walsall Street to make way for new flats was unveiled last April – but Sandwell Council is yet to make a decision. The Forever Living Christ Ministries International church will be replaced by a new four-storey building with a total of 12 two-bed apartments.

Sandwell Council is to sign off on a new cycle route through West Bromwich town center – the separate route starting in Bull Street just 160 meters from the proposed new flats. West Bromwich town center is also set for major regeneration, with almost 400 homes expected to be built on land just meters away in Queens Square, alongside almost 700 more in other parts of the town centre.