City of Wolverhampton Council has announced £4.8 million plans for a fourth phase of its successful newbuild council housing programme for small derelict sites.

Type=image;ImageID=14346;ImageClass=left;ImageTitle=Welbury Gardens;TitleClass=strong;

The £4 million third phase, this month started and will see 26 homes delivered across 5 sites by Harper Group PLC.

Eight former garage sites have now been identified as part of phase 4, subject to site investigations, checks and public consultations.

The proposed sites, which could yield 33 new homes, are Westcroft Avenue (Fallings Park), Abingdon Road (East Park), Moat Green Avenue (Wednesfield South), Whiston Avenue (Wednesfield North), Foster Road (Bushbury and Low Hill), Wilkinson Avenue (Bilston East), Hylstone Crescent (Wednesfield South), and Fairway Green (Bilston North).

The works will be carried out by local contractors selected through a competitive tendering process, encouraging small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to bid.

The builds will be funded from the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) capital budget, subject to Cabinet Resources Panel approval on Tuesday 16 January.

Councillor Peter Bilson, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for City Assets and Housing, said: "This scheme is helping smarten up neighbourhoods in the city while providing affordable housing to residents in housing need, and for vulnerable people.

"It started as a pilot programme and has grown from strength to strength, delivering 33 homes in the first 2 phases, and contractors are now on site to build 26 homes in phase 3.

"The selected contractors are delivering what we ask of them to improve our housing offer and it has proved to be an effective way to deliver new homes.

"Crucially, it increases the city's houses stock when it needs it most."

Phase 3 will see Harper Group PLC develop 3 two bedroom houses, 4 one bedroom flats and 4 two bedroom flats on Wolverhampton Road (Wednesfield South), 6 two bedroom houses on Newman Road (Fallings Park), 4 two bedroom houses on Parker Road garage site (Wednesfield North), and 3 two bedroom bungalows and 2 two bedroom houses on Peach Road (Wednesfield North).

The scheme is monitored through a joint project team from City of Wolverhampton Council and Wolverhampton Homes, to ensure the new council homes are built to a high standard.

  • released: Tuesday 9 January, 2018