A former police station in the Black Country is set to be transformed into residential flats after plans were approved by Sandwell Council. The Oldbury Police Station, located off Oldbury Ringway in the town centre, will be converted into six new flats under a proposal submitted by BSSO Properties.
The building, situated on Stone Street, was vacated by West Midlands Police earlier this decade as part of a series of cost-cutting closures across the region. The planning application outlines that much of the site will remain untouched, including the existing fences and car park. The former police offices will be internally reconfigured to create a mix of one-to-three-bedroom flats.
A statement accompanying the application said: “The proposal involves the internal conversion of the existing building to create six self-contained flats. The development will retain the existing building footprint, scale, massing, and roof form, ensuring that the external appearance of the building remains largely unchanged.”
The statement added: “The proposed conversion of the former Oldbury Police Station to six self-contained flats represents a high-quality, sustainable, and policy compliant development. The scheme reuses a vacant building, preserves local character, delivers compliant residential accommodation, and supports Sandwell’s housing and regeneration objectives.”
This is not the only former police building in the area to be considered for residential use. Earlier this year, Sandwell Council rejected plans to convert the empty West Midlands Police training centre, Windmill House in Smethwick, into a 76-bed house of multiple occupation (HMO). The council deemed the plans “oppressive” and “substandard,” citing unacceptable views of warehouses and cycle storage from ground-floor rooms.
Additionally, Sandwell Council itself plans to purchase the former Smethwick police station on Piddock Road. The intention is to refurbish and convert the building into approximately 30 one and two-bedroom flats.
