Wavensmere unveils plans for Wolverhampton Canalside

Wavensmere Homes has unveiled detailed plans for the £150m redevelopment of a canal-side former industrial site in Wolverhampton. The 17-acre redundant brownfield site has frontage onto Wyrley & Essington Canal and the Wolverhampton branch of the Birmingham Main Line Canal. More than 500 eco-focused homes and a range of commercial amenities are proposed, making it one of the largest city centre residential development opportunities in the Midlands.​ The scheme is set to open up a new walkway to the city core and aims to attract investment into a commercial corridor. A public consultation opened today. The development opportunity sits on the eastern edge of the city centre and is made up of the Canal & River Trust-owned former Crane Foundry site and City of Wolverhampton Council’s former British Steel site and its land off Qualcast Road. Wavensmere Homes is proposing more than 380 two- and three-bedroom townhouses – designed to target an EPC-A rating – and 140 one- and two-bedroom flats. It also plans to redevelop disused railway arches on the site into 7,000 sq ft of lettable commercial space. Glancy Nicholls Architects and RPS have drawn up the plans for the low-rise development, which emulates the surrounding conservation area and maximises both the canal-side setting and 4.4 acres of new public open space. The site is also located within a few minutes’ walk of the heart of the city centre and its award-winning £150m transport interchange. Wavensmere Homes proposes installing electric-only heating systems across the site. It will use air source heat pumps, solar panels and mechanical ventilation with heat recovery. The development will include EV charging for each home and EV chargers for visitors. The overall vision for the Wolverhampton Canalside masterplan is the delivery of around 1,000 homes. Image from Wavensmere Homes