Green light for £150m canalside regeneration scheme
Wavensmere Homes has received planning approval from City of Wolverhampton Council for its £150m residential-led Canalside South development.
More than 530 waterfront homes will be brought forward on the Canal & River Trust-owned former Crane Foundry site, and the Council’s former British Steel site and land off Qualcast Road.
378 two and three-bedroom townhouses, 145 one and two-bedroom apartments and 10 co-living units are set to be delivered, alongside seven acres of green space and 14,400 sq ft of commercial space in disused railway arches.
Electric-only heating systems will be installed as we as air source heat pumps, solar panels and mechanical ventilation with heat recovery (MVHR). There will also be EV charging to each house or parking space.
The 17.5-acre site which faces the Wyrley & Essington Canal and the Wolverhampton Branch of the Birmingham Main Line Canal, has lain derelict for 15 years.
Designers at Glancy Nicholls Architects have generated the low-rise development plans to maximise the canalside setting and open up a new pedestrian route to the city core, reducing the previous walk time by 20 minutes.
The overall vision for the Wolverhampton Canalside masterplan is the delivery of around 1,000 homes to meet both the city and wider region’s housing needs.
Cllr Stephen Simkins, leader of City of Wolverhampton Council said: “Wavensmere Homes submitted a quality and comprehensive planning application that will deliver for Wolverhampton. This project is fundamental to our brownfield first strategy, driving investment into the Green Innovation Corridor, and it will also fulfil a key objective of our Canalside Delivery Partnership with the Canal & River Trust.
“We can now look forward to work starting on site. Bringing life back to the redundant sites along our canal network is critical to boosting footfall into our city centre. As one of the largest new housing developments in the Midlands, Wavensmere’s £150m investment will enable Wolverhampton residents to benefit from superb connectivity, amenities, and health and wellbeing opportunities at this wonderful heritage location.”
James Dickens, managing director of Wavensmere Homes, said: “The experience of working with this City Council – and in particular the planning department – has been unprecedented. Wolverhampton is a city that is open for business.
“As a timeline, Wavensmere was announced as the new developer for this nationally significant project last December, and we are now in a position to confirm that we will be starting work at Canalside South before the year is out. This scheme will be a catalyst for a new wave of ambitious city living, which is vital to see the Wolverhampton Pound spent locally.
“It’s the level of proactivity and can-do approach that made this happen, which has been brought about through a shared vision, great people, and the Council’s strong leadership team at the helm. As a result of this positive and efficient experience, we are committed to invest a lot more in the City of Wolverhampton.”
Join us at Bank on October 10, to hear from Dickens, one of the region’s most active housebuilders, on Wavensmere’s five developments under construction worth £350m, and its proposals to boost delivery.
Andrew Chandler, development manager at the Canal & River Trust added: “We are delighted to be working collaboratively with City of Wolverhampton Council and Wavensmere Homes to bring forward this transformational, high quality canalside residential-led scheme which will deliver generous well-connected walkways and public open spaces. This scheme will transform derelict brownfield land, while connecting more people to the local canal network and its rich biodiversity.
“Canalside South will positively influence the quality of future development around our canals. It will also demonstrate the positive impact that water has on those who live and use the waterways, encouraging more people to engage with their local canal and at the same time help support what we do as a charity and show that life really is better by water.”
