Landmark Wednesbury Property Faces Transformation
A distinctive £1 million hilltop property in Wednesbury, complete with its own windmill, could be converted into a children's residential home under plans going before councillors next week. The Round House in Reservoir Passage, located just a short distance from Wednesbury town centre, boasts four bedrooms along with a tennis court, swimming pool and the striking windmill that makes it a local landmark.
From Failed School to Proposed Care Home
This isn't the first attempt to change the use of the unique property. Earlier this year, plans to transform the building into a special school for 30 children with social, emotional, and mental health needs were withdrawn. Sandwell Council had raised concerns that surrounding roads were unsuitable to handle the increased traffic and that insufficient parking had been provided for the proposed school.
The new application, submitted by Gracebridge Care Ltd, seeks permission to create a residential home for up to four children. Sandwell Council's planning committee is scheduled to make a decision on the application when it meets on November 26.
Overcoming Objections and Looking Ahead
When the revised plans were resubmitted during the summer, a handful of objections were raised by local residents. Primary concerns focused on potential impacts on traffic and parking in the area. However, the council's own highways department raised no objections to the latest proposal.
In a report prepared for the upcoming meeting, planning officers have recommended approval of the children's home. The report states that the change of use would be acceptable in this location and wouldn't harm the living conditions of neighbouring properties in terms of traffic, noise, disturbance or highway safety.
The applicant, Gracebridge Care Ltd, currently operates six other children's homes, all of which have achieved 'good' ratings from Ofsted across all inspection areas. The company has stated that the new home will work closely with Sandwell Council to prioritise placements for young people within the borough, helping to reduce the need for out-of-area placements that can disrupt family contact.
The Round House itself has an interesting history, having taken more than 25 years to build beginning in the 1980s. The current owners constructed the property using salvaged and recycled materials from old houses, schools, factories and churches across the West Midlands. The site was sold last year following the death of the previous owners' parents.
