The planning row over one of Britain’s most dangerous buildings has been “temporarily” resolved.

Yard owners can continue to store pallets next to one of the country’s most “dangerous” buildings, despite being open for three years, without council permission. Industrial Pallet Solutions, based next to Grade II-listed Langley Maltings in Oldbury, opened in September 2021 but has just received “retrospective” permission from Sandwell Council after a year’s discussion with the authority’s planners and conservation officers.

The firm, which stores, reuses and delivers pallets, moved into the empty yard in Western Road, Oldbury, almost three years ago but only applied for planning permission in March last year. Sandwell’s planners finally came to a decision after a discussion with Industrial Pallet Solutions about the “significance” of Langley Maltings and its current condition, which was badly damaged by fire in 2009.

Sandwell Council said Industrial Pallet Solutions could continue to store wooden pallets and keep the facilities, which include a static caravan, offices and storage space, “temporarily” for five years. Wooden pallets are to be stored two and a half meters from the building referred to as a ‘buffer’ in the deal now approved by council planners.

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The row began when conservation officers from Sandwell Council said it was “inaccurate” for the pallet storage business to say in its application that the Grade II listed building had “no significance” and the pallet storage next to it “did not caused no concern as it was abandoned.

The council said the storage of wooden pallets against the wall of the former malt house, which had already been badly damaged by fire, caused a “very real” fire risk. The pallet company said it was not trying to “minimize” the building’s historic significance, but pointed out that its current state was “very badly damaged by fire and derelict” and did not have “much aesthetic value”.

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The council said that to say the building’s historical importance lay solely in its aesthetic value showed a “disappointing misunderstanding of (its) significance”.

The council reached agreement earlier this month, saying that while the plans “were not fully aligned with the council’s aspirations” for the “industrial heritage site”, the business operated “without prejudice” and “helped to secure the site” against potential anti-social behavior. The council agreed to grant the site “temporary” permission for five years for “impact assessment”.

The approval also came with a warning from the council’s conservation officer that the “piecemeal” development of the courtyard could affect “future opportunities to bring the listed building back into suitable use”.

Langley Maltings was built in 1898 and remained in operation until 2006. It was significantly damaged in an arson fire in 2009, with most of the building’s roof destroyed.

Most of the site was saved from demolition in 2012, but the building continued to deteriorate. The rot did not stop and Langley Maltings was even placed in the top 10 most endangered buildings in the country by the Victorian Society in 2018.

Plans to open a concrete mixing site in the yard were given temporary permission for five years by the council in 2016. After that permission expired, the site was used to store bins and tippers – also without permission.

Sandwell Council approved a permanent car dealership, car wash and repair center and valet area on the opposite side of the forecourt in March 2023.