Official Wolverhampton Development Thread 2

[Butterfield]

What is it with Wolverhampton and converting historic buildings into supermarkets?

[Nacho]

In general I don't like supermarket-led developments but here it is doing this building a great favour; I thought its days were numbered .If I remember correctly,when the Metro stations were chosen ,The Royal stop was placed to provide passengers with access to the hospital .Of course , the hospital was eventually closed , leaving the stop with a very low patronage .This project might revive its fortunes .

[sefton66]

Actually getting 3 Supermarkets...

Wolverhampton to get three new stores to spark jobs boost
Wednesday 12th October 2011, 5:30PM BST.



Three new multi-million pound supermarkets will be built in Wolverhampton, creating 1,339 jobs and finally bringing a close to the city’s longest-running planning wrangle.

Sainsbury’s and Tesco have both won the right to create new stores in the city, while permission has also been granted for another.

The decision puts an end to an 11-year battle between the store giants over the right to build on land at Raglan Street, in Chapel Ash.

During yesterday’s meeting of Wolverhampton City Council’s planning committee, Tesco exchanged contracts with its rival and handed over its share of land after more than a decade of rows and court battles.

Wolverhampton City Council had initially favoured Tesco to build on the site, even though it owned only a 10 per cent share compared to Sainsbury’s 86 per cent.
Hospital

The authority’s decision was partly influenced by Tesco’s vow to use the separate Royal Hospital site for houses and offices.

But Sainsbury’s objected and Supreme Court judges finally voted in its favour last year. Tesco went back to the drawing board and came up with plans to create its own supermarket at the Royal Hospital site and agreed it would sell its share of Raglan Street if permission for the scheme was granted, which it was last night.

Owners of the Peel Centre in Stafford Street also yesterday won permission for a supermarket and are in talks with Morrisons.

Read more: http://www.expressandstar.com/news/2...#ixzz1ab4yc31m

[van heckler]

View from Lower Penn.

(obtrusive pylon edited out)

[van heckler]

A new tallest structure for Wolverhampton.

Power plant to create 70 jobs

Seventy jobs will be created under plans unveiled today for a £120 million landmark plant in Wolverhampton that will power 47,500 homes.

The energy plant, known as Greenpower 54, is being lined up for land next to the i54 business park, and includes a 328ft tall chimney visible from the M54 motorway and A449 Stafford Road.

Read more: http://www.expressandstar.com/news/2...#ixzz1cgU4hy1g

Key features will ensure that the facility is sustainable, modern and meets the highest standards. These include:

•An enclosed fuel preparation and recycling building that we estimate will be approximately 18 metres high.
•A storage area for recovered wood.
•A structure to host the turbine of approximately 20 metres in height.
•A building containing the boiler that we estimate will be approximately 40 metres high.
•A chimney stack that we estimate will be between 80 metres and 100 metres high.
•A control room.
•An office and visitor centre that will offer a unique experience of the facility and the wider environment.

http://www.greenpower54.co.uk/our-proposals/

[Butterfield]

I guess that's good new jobs-wise but I rarely venture into that part of Wolverhampton so I won't get to see it much - or any of the other stuff that's being built by the M54 - unless this chimney will be visible from miles around.

The article doesn't say when it's due to be completed.

[sefton66]

12 November 2011 Last updated at 09:36 Share this pageEmailPrint
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Wolverhampton 'investment' plans go on display
Businesses and residents of Wolverhampton are being invited to have their say on proposals to "revitalise" the city.

The plans intend to attract more investment in retail, office space, housing and leisure in the city centre.

People can give their views before the plans are developed into a City Centre Prospectus, which will be used to market the city to potential investors.

The plans are at the Wulfrun Centre on Saturday from 10:00 to 13:00 GMT.

They will also be at the Wolverhampton City Centre Indoor Market from 22 November from 10:00 to 13:00 GMT.

In October, up to 50 developers and business leaders welcomed plans to improve the existing shopping centre and develop family leisure facilities such as a cinema, bowling alley and food restaurant chains.

The draft plans seek to show how the city centre might be shaped and developed over the next 20 years.

The cabinet member for economic regeneration and prosperity, Councillor Peter Bilson, said: "Following the positive feedback from developers, the council is now keen to seek the views of the public and other stakeholders for plans which we want to be both ambitious and deliverable."

The plans can also be viewed on the Wolverhampton City Council website.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england...ngham-15696964

[ReissOmari]

Here's some photo's of the bus station in case no one has seen it yet (like me!) and it actually looks warm and useful unlike West Bromwich.

image hosted on flickr


image hosted on flickr


image hosted on flickr


image hosted on flickr


image hosted on flickr


image hosted on flickr


image hosted on flickr


image hosted on flickr


Centro Flickr.

[Nacho]

Thanks for posting the photos .I was impresed by Wolverhampton's bus station on my first visit and the new bridge linking it to the railway sation is a great addition too.As someone who uses West Bromwich's bus station,I would say that it serves its purpose extremely well ;it is appreciated by its passengers,and has the added bonus of its links to the Metro station.Wednesbury's new bus station has also proved very popular with bus users .

[ReissOmari]

No worries, I worded what I said about West Brom wrong, its a good bus station as in how it works, but the way its been build is that the wind from outside can still get in through the huge gaps left at the bottom of the windows, therefore its forever cold in there, unlike Wolvo.

[sefton66]

I've got to admit the new bridge does look good

[sefton66]

Does anyone know anything about this? Is it still on the cards? has it been scrapped or what? It looks brilliant



more pics below
http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/blackcou...00/8508022.stm

[SimonTheSoundMan]

New to me sefton.

[sefton66]

cheers Simon was posted back in Feb 2010 but I cant find anymore on it, I hope it still on the cards it looks great, this is from the designers page on it...

Wolverhampton Bridge Project
Bridges & Regeneration
Landmark regeneration and pedestrian footbridge in Wolverhampton.

A regeneration project based around a high profile pedestrian footbridge reconnecting the city centre to the increasingly important northern quadrant of the city, currently separated by a 1960's inner ring road. The bridge concept has attracted considerable interest from the business, academic and sporting sectors in the city, with support from the City Council, the University of Wolverhampton and Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club.

The project has now reached the feasibility stage.

http://www.johnsonltd.co.uk/componen...gallery/id,46/

[SimonTheSoundMan]

To say it was first announce in 2010 and again now, I'm guessing they are very serious.

[van heckler]

Some nice aerial photos from Martin Hanley on Flickr.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/2943263...th/6924022819/

image hosted on flickr


image hosted on flickr

[benbobjr]

stunning photos!

[Butterfield]

I'd like to see a similar aerial photo to that but BEFORE the ring road was built.

As a child I remember having to go through Wolverhampton (what was then) town centre to get to Wednesfield but the eastern part of the ring road seemed to just appear without me realising and we never drove through the town centre again. It would be interesting to see what buildings had to get demolished to make way for it.

[ReissOmari]

Huge blaze in Wolverhampton
Wednesday 29th February 2012, 11:58AM GMT.

Carvers Building Supplies in Wolverhampton was on fire this afternoon – sending enormous plumes of smoke billowing into the sky that could be seen for miles around.

More than 40 firefighters were tackling the flames at the site in Littles Lane.

Emergency crews were called at 11.43am. Surrounding roads were sealed off, and ambulance crews were in attendance although it is not yet known if anyone has been hurt.

The train station and ring road were shut as fire crews dealt with the fire.

Nicky Butler, Express & Star video journalist, tweeted: “Just spoke to a distraught Henry Carver watching his life’s work burn to the ground.”

Peter Ray, aged 61, a contractor for Grange Fencing Ltd was working at Carvers, which was established in 1896, setting up a display when he heard the fire alarm sound at 11.30am.

He said: “We heard the alarm, we didn’t know what it was at first and then somebody came out, they said there was a fire and everybody had to get out.

“I wasn’t worried at all but we had to get out pretty quick.”

Mr Ray said he believed the fire involved a furnace inside the factory building.

More to follow

Read more: http://www.expressandstar.com/news/2...#ixzz1nmAHg3nQ

[Butterfield]

That's a bit of an epic picture.