In July 2011 we reported that a historic building in Wednesfield had been designated as a heritage asset by the City Council after a campaign by resident Erica Williams
The building in question, a former Trap Maker’s premises at 43 Taylor Street, Wednesfield is the only remaining trap making premises in Wednesfield and the final reminder of a time when Wednesfield was the centre of the trap making world.
The designation of the building by Wolverhampton City Council’s Historic Environment Officer meant the heritage status would have to be take into consideration should any planning applications come in that would affect the site.
Building under threat
On 14th March, 2012 a planning application was made to demolish the building and replace it with houses:
“Proposed demolition of existing dwelling and factory unit and construction of two, three-bedroom dwellings fronting Duke Street and two four-bedroom dwellings fronting Taylor Street.”
Erica has now approached WV11.co.uk asking us to raise awareness of the planning application and encourage anyone who wants to save an important part of Wednesfield’s history to write and object.
How to object to the planning application
There are two ways you can object to the planning application:
1. By using the Wolverhampton and Building Control website to lodge an objection (more info below)
2. By emailing the planner dealing with the application directly: ann.wheeldon@wolverhampton.gov.uk
The Council don’t make it particularly easy to object via the Building Control website, but the entire process won’t take more than 5 minutes – here are some instructions on how to do this:
1. Go to the Wolverhampton and Building Control website
2. Agree to the terms and conditions – ‘I agree’ link at the very bottom of the page
3. Search for ‘Taylor Street’, the first result should be the one you want – click on this
4. Once the application opens up, click on the ‘make a public comment’ link and fill in the form to make your objection
5. If you want tips on how to write a good objection, read this blog post
Comment: WV11.co.uk fully supports the campaign to save a piece of Wednesfield’s rapidly disappearing heritage, we have made an objection to the planning application and we hope you do too.
We will be posting more information about the history of this building in the coming days.
Photo: Black Country Bugle.
9 replies on “Help save Wednesfield’s only remaining trap makers premesis”
[…] I have, for my entire adult life, worked with and on behalf of the public, both within the NHS and on many public bodies in Wolverhampton during my free time. Standing for public office seemed a natural progression from the voluntary work I have engaged in on city wide and local health bodies, various community groups and as a school governor for the past twenty or so years, I enjoy helping individuals and groups cut through the red tape of officialdom and resolve their problems. I believe a councillor is an advocate for the people who elect them and that to do this effectively it is the resident’s views that are paramount, I therefore believe a key part of the role is to inform resident’s of what is happening in their area so that they can have a say before decisions are made, only last week I leafleted every house in the Taylor and Duke street areas giving residents details of the planning application on the Trap Works and information on how to submit their objections or support to the Planning Department, a campaign spurred on by concerned resident’s that I am pleased to see is featured on your site. […]
[…] Wednesfield born ‘Apprentice’ runner up Ruth Badger has spoken out about her love of Wednesfield and given her support to the campaign to save the area’s last remaining trap making premises. […]
I wish to state very strongly my objection to the demolition of the Trap Makers premises in Wednesfield, too many of our old buildings have been destroyed in our area to be replaced with modern developments, we should be preserving and valuing these properties not destroying them, once they are gone it is too late and we can never get them back. In many cases it is the only way we have to appreciate what our ancestors gave us as our heritage and we should treasure them.
Thanks for the comment Elizabeth, please also post it on the Council’s planning website as only the comments there will be taken into consideration: http://planningonline.wolverhampton.gov.uk:2707/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=summary&keyVal=M0VV74RW2V000
No-one cared about this building for years while it stood there looking like it does,But since someone wants too make the area look better the Neighbours complain because of their Privacy concerns not because it was a Trapmakers.
Over 12 months ago a local resident successfully ran a campaign to get the building recognised as a heritage asset by Wolverhampton City Council, that’s not the sign of no one caring about it? The reality is that it’s owned by someone and they can’t be forced to do something with it if they don’t want to.
I think you’ll actually find the vast majority of the objections to the planning app are because people want to see one of the last remaining heritage buildings in the area saved. No one has mention anything to do with ‘privacy’ to WV11!
[…] in April we reported on a planning application which would see the last remaining trap maker’s premises in Wednesfield demolished to make […]
worked here for 14 years village gears.is the building still there ?
[…] of the only remaining trapmakers in Wednesfield at 43 Taylor Street, for which there was a massive local campaign in 2012 to preserve the original building. A relative, Erica Williams, was also the winner of our Local […]