Permission granted for post office demolition – 18 months after bulldozers flattened it

Sandwell Council’s planning committee approved a “retrospective” application for work already carried out to the former Hateley Heath Post Office and McColl’s store in Jowetts Lane, West Bromwich.

The demolition work began in March last year and came to the attention of Sandwell Council enforcement officers following a complaint. The council stepped in and told UK Wide Real Estate that the scale of the work first required planning permission, which halted work, leaving the makeover half-finished.

The works included the replacement of a boundary wall in Lynton Avenue, the demolition of an external rear wall, a single storey rear extension and a higher roof.

A decision was twice delayed by councillors, with a site visit finally taking place six months ago. A decision was further delayed when it was discovered during the site visit in January that the drawings in the application did not match what had been built so far. This led to further delay while the plans were redrawn.