Council homes build starts at former tennis club site

Construction work has started to build 11 new council homes on the site of a former tennis club.

The properties in Bilston would be a mix of detached and semi-detached and be available for affordable rent, the City of Wolverhampton Council said.

Construction of the nine two-bedroom and two three-bedroom houses in the grounds of the dilapidated tennis club in Villiers Avenue was expected to be complete by spring 2026.

The authority added that £40,000 had been allocated to improve courts at East Park to mitigate the loss of the Bilston site.

The houses, which will be gas-free and have solar panels, are one of a number of housing development works across the city that are either under way or set to start imminently.

The development in Villiers Avenue would be supported by a £620,000 grant from Homes England.

"This is a great example of the council's strategy to bring small disused sites back into use for the benefit of our residents and communities," said councillor Steve Evans, the council's deputy leader and cabinet member for city housing.

"There is an increasing demand for housing, and this forms part of our pipeline of new council properties we are developing to deliver more good homes in well-connected neighbourhoods across the city.

"Residents will not only benefit from these future-proofed homes, but they will also reap the rewards of the significant investment already made in Bilston in recent years that is seeing the town flourish."

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