Homes approved for former factory's bowling green

Eleven homes are set to be built on a former factory's bowling green after plans were given the go-ahead.

The project is to be developed on land off Woden Road, Wolverhampton, which was previously occupied by Gunnebo, a manufacturer of safes.

The factory was demolished after the company announced plans to close it in late 2000 and much of the wider site has since been redeveloped.

Approving the proposal for the bowling green component, the city council's planning office said the recreational space was "no longer required" and its loss was considered acceptable.

The report added that the applicant Rupinder Kaur, from Dyal Homes, also agreed to make financial contributions towards improving nearby sport facilities.

The factory was originally home to Chubb Safes until it was sold in 2000 to Swedish firm Assa Abloy which then passed on the business to Gunnebo.

Gunnebo then announced the factory's closure just months later, saying it was "too big" for its business, with 170 employees made redundant.

It came after much of the firm's manufacturing operations were moved to Willenhall and Wednesfield, while the main offices relocated to Pendeford Business Park.

Following the factory's demolition, more than 100 homes have been built across the site, with the bowling green one of the last undeveloped areas.

Housing was first proposed for it in 2019 but the council said it was still an "active recreational facility".

After its pavilion was demolished in 2021, the authority approached Gunnebo a year later to see whether it could be turned into a skate park but the proposal never got off the ground.

The site became a hot spot for vandals and anti-social behaviour, before plans for 15 homes were approved in 2025.

These were later redrawn, following concerns such a development would be cramped.

The application for 11 homes was submitted in March.

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations.

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