A planning application has been submitted to City of Wolverhampton Council seeking permission to convert former offices at the Dulux Decorator Centre in Chapel Ash, Wolverhampton into five new flats. The entire building would be repaired and refurbished under the proposals by Tim Dixon, director of historic city firm S.J. Dixon & Son, with the ground floor space retained as a shop.
Current State of the Building
The ground floor of the Chapel Ash building is currently empty due to its "poor condition," the application states. A tenant for the refurbished ground floor space has not yet been identified.
Demolition and New Construction
Buildings at the rear would be demolished to make way for a car park and a new staircase to serve the new bedsits. The planning application by Mr Dixon says all floors of the former office building require "drastically needed repairs."
"Demolition is proposed to the rear of this building, making way for a new staircase extension, which will provide access to the upper floor apartments," the application explains. "These demolition works will also make space for apartment parking for residents. The existing back of house spaces are no longer needed."
Broader Development Context
S.J. Dixon & Son’s former warehouse in Cleveland Road, Wolverhampton, built in 1885, and nearby land is being converted into nearly 100 new flats and homes. This area forms part of the proposed multi-million pound ‘Royal Quarter’ in Wolverhampton, which already includes new houses and apartments on the site of the city’s former bus depot.
The former Royal Hospital site, empty since 1997, was bought and then sold by Tesco with plans for a new supermarket failing to materialise. The historic building has now been converted into apartments for the over-55s.
