Pictured above: Neighbourhood Park and 314 homes proposed at Goodyear, Wolverhampton

Two major planning applications have been submitted to Wolverhampton City Council regarding the £150 million redevelopment of the Goodyear Works, located off Stafford Road. The St. Modwen and Persimmon Homes joint venture has submitted plans for the first 314 new homes at the 88 acre site, while St. Modwen has also lodged an application for a new Neighbourhood Park. 

The residential planning application is the first to be made as part of the ground-breaking joint venture that was established in August this year. 2,000 homes - with an end value of £300 million - will be built on seven St. Modwen-owned sites across the UK over the next five years. 

Simultaneously, St. Modwen has lodged an application for a new 17.5 acre (7.07 hectare) Neighbourhood Park that will create a high quality new community facility for local people. The Park will cover a substantial area of land at the northern end of the site and once it is completed, it will be adopted by Wolverhampton City Council. 

John Dodds, Midlands regional director for St. Modwen said: "This is a significant site for Wolverhampton with major redevelopment potential and we are working to create a thriving new mixed-use community here. The submission of two major planning applications signifies a real milestone for the re-birth of this local landmark, which in turn, will create hundreds of new jobs for local people. 

"In line with previous plans agreed by Wolverhampton City Council, our proposals for the Neighbourhood Park will open up a significant part of the site to the public, as it is currently all private land. Our design team has been working closely with the Council to incorporate a variety of facilities, so that the new Park can be enjoyed by a wide range of the community. Sports pitches, a multi-use games area, refurbished tennis courts, a pond and a play area have been included within the planning application, which also proposes planting new trees and hedges and creating new footpaths." 

Daniel le Neveu, group development director, Persimmon PLC comments: "It is very exciting for our West Midlands company to be able to submit the first planning application as part of our joint venture with St. Modwen so swiftly, since signing the ground-breaking agreement in August. The 314 new homes that have been proposed at the Goodyear development site will create a high quality new community. The scheme includes a mix of one, two, three and four-bedroom homes, which will appeal to people already living in the area, as well as those looking to relocate to Wolverhampton."

Earlier this month, St. Modwen announced that work has commenced on the ground clearing works, the new access road and the construction of the new 17,000 sq ft Aldi foodstore at the Goodyear site.18 acres of the 88 acre regeneration scheme are occupied by Goodyear. The manufacturer has leased back the land from St. Modwen to accommodate its operational facilities and Outline planning permission was granted in 2007 to redevelop the remaining 70 acres to create a vibrant mixed-use development, including retail, residential, the retention of the Sports and Social Club, and the proposed new Neighbourhood Park.  

Bordered by Stafford Road in Wolverhampton, the Goodyear regeneration scheme is a short drive from junction 2 of the M54 and Wolverhampton city centre.