A dilapidated former mission hall in Cradley Heath is set to be transformed into supported living flats for adults with learning disabilities and complex needs.
Sandwell Council has given the green light to plans by Edgeview Homes to repurpose John Owen House, the former mission hall located at the junction of Grange Road and Waterfall Lane in Old Hill, Cradley Heath. The building will be converted into six supported living flats providing 24-hour residential care for adults aged 18 to 65 with learning disabilities, mental health conditions, autistic spectrum disorders, and complex needs.
The planning application noted that the former hall had been “neglected” and was in a “poorly maintained state.” The conversion aims to breathe new life into the eyesore structure.
Recent Developments in the Area
Last year, Sandwell Council approved plans to convert the former Old Furnace pub, located opposite the mission hall on Grange Road, into flats. The dilapidated pub, which closed its doors in 2010, had been the subject of multiple applications over the years, including proposals to turn it into offices, a shop, and new homes.
An application to convert the pub into a shop was rejected in 2024, with the council stating it would prefer to see the pub’s car park reinstated to prevent obstruction of the road and bend. A plan to demolish the pub and build five new homes was approved in 2021 but never materialized.
Earlier, a separate application to convert the pub into offices and storage space for a landlord and property developer was rejected in 2020. Additionally, plans to turn the pub’s former car park, which had long been fenced off, into a hand car wash and valeting service were turned down by the council as “inappropriate” and “poorly designed.”
Community Impact
The conversion of John Owen House is expected to provide much-needed supported living accommodation in the area, addressing the needs of vulnerable adults while revitalizing a neglected property. The development aligns with broader efforts to repurpose vacant and derelict buildings in Sandwell.
