Skip to content

Demolition delight as 'decaying' homes torn down

Ben Godfrey
BBC Midlands Today
Eleanor Lawson
BBC News, West Midlands
BBC Stephen Spencer smiles at the camera in front of a block of maisonettes and some grass. He wears a black coat and a striped scarf. He has a grey beard and hair.BBC
Stephen Spencer said he was over the moon that demolition work had begun, having lived on the estate for nearly 27 years

Demolition has begun on an estate of 1960s maisonettes as part of a regeneration project to build new houses in a city.

Proposals to demolish the 205 outdated homes at the New Park Village estate in Wolverhampton to make way for 188 new energy-efficient homes were approved in December.

The £40m project is funded by government grants and the city council.

Stephen Spencer, a resident of the estate, said he was"so excited" at the demolition, adding "it's been a long time coming".

A digger begins demolishing a block of maisonettes. The sky is bright blue and a rainbow effect is seen near the digger.
More than 200 outdated homes will be knocked down on the New Park Village estate in Wolverhampton

Mr Spencer has lived on the estate for almost three decades in a two-bedroom maisonette and said he was over the moon demolition had begun.

"The maisonettes are in a state of disrepair and I'm not sad to see them go. Residents are looking forward to new homes that are fit for families," he added.

"A lot of people have had problems with damp and mould.

"We've got the storage heaters which are very expensive to run. I don't run mine because I can't afford it."

But he told the BBC some residents did have concerns about the demolition work.

"The sooner [the homes] come down and the new properties go up, the better for everyone," he added.

An aerial view of two blocks of the maisonettes. A digger begins demolishing one of them.
The homes on the estate will make way for 188 new energy-efficient homes

Councillor Steve Evans, the council's deputy leader, said: "This is a truly historic milestone for housing in our city that will transform the lives of residents at New Park Village."

Ninety-eight properties will be built as part of the first part of the project with 83 in phase two along with seven new bungalows in Longford Road.

Building work will begin in the summer, Evans said.

Councillor Steve Evans smiles at the camera while standing in front of the blocks of maisonettes. He wears a black jacket, white shirt and a navy tie.
Councillor Steve Evans said the demolition was a "truly historic milestone"

Poor quality bungalows on Valley Road have already been removed and in the current work, the main flats at Ellerton Walk - which the council described as "decaying" - are being pulled down.

The new buildings will include new two, three and four-bedroom homes for rent along with more spaces for parking cars and a public open space.

A woman wearing a yellow high-vis vest and white hard hat. She is smiling into the camera and standing next to a fence that has advertisements on.
Val McKean said the community in New Park Village was "like a family"

The chair of a residents' group which advised on the work, Val McKean, told the BBC it was "really heartbreaking" when she said goodbye to her home.

"The community in New Park Village is like a family," she said.

"I've got so many memories in there but I'm very excited now this is going forward."

Follow BBC Wolverhampton & Black Country on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.

More on this story
Related internet links