A BLOCK of flats will be built on the site of a former church in Old Hill after plans were backed by the council.

A total of 12 two-bed flats will be built on land partly owned by Sandwell Council off Halesowen Road in Old Hill after plans submitted by Dev Dutt Tewari were given the green light.

The now-empty plot was home to a Wesleyan Methodist church before it became derelict and was demolished in the early 2010s.

The council’s planners said: “The proposed development is acceptable from a design and amenity perspective and raises no significant concerns subject to conditions.

"Distances between the development and surrounding residential uses are sufficient for no appreciable impact to occur.

"The site has long been derelict, and the proposal would serve to positively transform the site and contribute to the borough’s housing targets.”

Plans were revealed at the end of 2020 to build new shops and prayer space alongside several flats in a four-storey building on the council-owned land.

The council said the plan was ‘too big’ – calling the planned building “imposing” – and planners said they were also concerned about a “significant risk of conflict” between residents, shopkeepers and customers because of a shortfall in parking spaces.

The council’s highways department said the original plan from 2020 – with shops and flats – would need between 50 and 60 parking spaces and the proposed spaces would need to be wider. A storey would also have to be removed for the council to consider it acceptable, it said.

The plans were then, redrawn removing one storey to make a three-storey building, with the planned shops and prayer space scrapped.

A statement included with the application explained the decision to reduce the size of the building.

“At the time the applicant’s desire was for a mixed development of retail on the ground floor, apartments and a prayer space with associated parking and amenity,” the application said.

“This was considered overdevelopment and there was a significant risk of conflict between the use of the parking by residents, shopkeepers and customers.

“The development was four storeys and imposing. The application’s proposals now seek to address this by being purely residential and three storeys.”