City of Wolverhampton Council has begun mobilisation works ahead of full demolition starting in the coming weeks to pave the way for a new health & wellbeing facility and neighbouring homes in Oxley.

Outline planning approval was granted in March for the modern health & wellbeing facility and homes, which will sit on the site of the former Oxley Day Training Centre.

The derelict council-owned centre in Probert Road will firstly be stripped out by contractors before machines move in to raze it to the ground and clear the site ready for construction, subject to final planning approval.

A feasibility study for the scheme, supported by West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) funding, was conducted and feedback from stakeholders and the public at community events last year has shaped the design, which consists of two complementary buildings.

The residential accommodation proposal will include an opportunity for key worker housing and affordable living. It allows for a mix of 23 housing units across the site with a view to partnering with a housing partner that can support the new Government Self & Custom Build initiative.

City of Wolverhampton Council Cabinet Member for City Housing and WMCA Housing and Land Board member, Councillor Steve Evans, said: “I would like to thank everyone who has provided us with very valuable feedback that has shaped this project significantly.

“It is important that this development meets the needs of local residents and the consultation events gave us a clear direction to inform the outline planning application and gain approval.

“We can now look forward to the former Day Training Centre being demolished in the coming weeks, paving the way for the construction of the new health & wellbeing facility and homes to start, subject to final planning approval.”

The Council has been working closely with the NHS Black Country Integrated Care Board (formerly the NHS Black Country and West Birmingham Clinical Comissioning Group), Oxley Stafford and Probert Road GP surgeries, the Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust, Black Country Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust and RWT Primary Care Network to develop a clinical service model. This will provide improved Council health and family services with integrated general medical services, more integrated working between primary care, community services, social care and care providers, accommodation for local GP practices, a base for community nursing teams, a clinical bookable suite to support local delivery of ‘out of hospital’ services, and community space.

City of Wolverhampton Council Cabinet Member for Adults and Wellbeing, Councillor Jasbir Jaspal, added: “This scheme will provide invaluable health & wellbeing services for the local community.

“We have worked closely with our partners in the public health sector to design a scheme that will enable them to deliver the best possible services for their users.

“The facility will be located in a place where it will be highly accessible and can benefit the community the most.”

Andy Street, Mayor of the West Midlands and WMCA Chair, added: “With the help of WMCA investment, regeneration of yet another derelict brownfield site is underway.

“Our brownfield first policy - using money secured from Government – continues to breathe new life into disused urban sites. Right across our region, we’re providing new homes and creating jobs for local people – all whilst protecting our precious greenbelt.

“I cannot wait to see this scheme come to fruition and I’m sure the local community are looking forward to the new homes and modern health centre coming soon to this site.”

Image caption 1 (L-R): Councillor Jasbir Jaspal, Cabinet Member for Adults and Wellbeing, Andrew Slater, Chair of Patient Participation Group, Tracy Duane, Rakegate Tenants and Residents Association, Paul Macrae, Associate Director City Demolition, and Councillor Steve Evans, Cabinet Member for City Housing, at the Oxley Day Training Centre demolition site

Image caption 2 (L-R): A computer generated image of what the new Oxley health & wellbeing facility (pictured right) and homes (pictured left) could look like