Food hall plan for Bilston’s long-vacant Victoria Building
Once a centre for engineering and art education, one of Wolverhampton’s most significant historic buildings has stood vacant for nearly three decades.
But the dilapidated Victoria Building, on Mount Pleasant in Bilston, could once again become an educational hub, as well as a vibrant food and leisure destination, under plans lodged with City of Wolverhampton Council this week.
Developer Victoria Mount Palace has applied for permission to convert the historic 10,000 sq ft building into a mixed-use food, leisure, community and cultural destination, a project it says will become a “landmark” development for Bilston, if approved.
The plans include a post-16 education facility alongside a food village with space for 16 vendors, which the applicant hopes will become a “social and cultural hub” that contributes to the ongoing regeneration of the area.
Plans have been lodged to turn the former Bilston Art School into a mixed-use destination. Credit: Mike Coleman and Associates via planning portal
The applicant says the scheme would secure the long-term future of a significant local building, and transform an underutilised site into a “vibrant” destination that will provide economic, social and cultural benefits for Bilston and the wider Wolverhampton area.
“Our ambitions are to preserve the character and heritage of the building while creating a space that benefits future generations,” said a spokesperson for Victoria Mount Palace.
“With an eye on the future and the changing needs of society, our vision is to transform the building into a destination for health and wellbeing, education, and business. We felt that converting such a significant and influential landmark into another block of apartments would not do justice to its history or potential.
“We also aim to enhance the surrounding environment through thoughtful landscaping and the integration of nature, helping to revitalise the area and create a lasting positive impact. Above all, we want this project to demonstrate that Wolverhampton is a city with ambition, innovation, and a bright future ahead.”
The Victoria Building was constructed in 1897 to commemorate Queen Victoria’s diamond jubilee year, and falls within the Bilston Town Centre Conservation Area.
The building has attracted a number of suitors since the Bilston College Of Further Education quit the premises in 1999, with a scheme for 64 apartments approved for the site in 2012. An earlier proposal to turn the site into a 23-bed care home was approved in 2011, but also never implemented.
The building was campaign group SAVE Britain’s Heritage’s building of the month in September 2018.
Planning and designs for the scheme have been provided by Willenhall-based Mike Coleman & Associates.
Plans and documents relating to the proposal can be found on Wolverhampton’s planning portal using reference: 26/00839/FUL
