THE FUTURE of Bromsgrove’s former fire station on Windsor Street has been the topic of debate recently as the district council’s overview and scrutiny committee met to discuss its options for the site’s development.
At the meeting, held earlier this month, members of the Bromsgrove District Council committee heard three alternative options from the regeneration project manager as regards plans to develop the brownfield site.
Residential use was considered the most appropriate option for the site, with the regeneration project manager proposing only housing development opportunities within the report.
The council has secured various funding boosts for the development, most notably Levelling Up cash, all of which need to be directed towards housing provision.
In total, BDC has £3.49 million earmarked for the redevelopment through various grant sources including the Brownfield Land Release Fund, the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and the One Public Estate programme.
The funding for the Windsor Street project included acquisition, demolition, decontamination, and remediation of the key brownfield site.
Demolition works to remove the old buildings on site was completed in February 2025.
When applying for levelling up funds, the council proposed the delivery of up to 60 high quality residential homes at the site. Currently, early proposals feature only 29 homes.
Councillors on the committe deliberated three options for the site including obtaining outline planning permission before selling the site on the open market, development through Spadesbourne
Homes to retain market value properties and sell affordable units, or enter into a partnership with a private developer or registered social landlord.
Option three – partnering with a registered social landlord (RSL) – was the preferred choice for the majority of councillors on the committee. Some members felt transferring the site to a RSL would protect it from being sold off and would also secure the most affordable housing units.
Some members opposed the suggestion to focus on building multi-bedroom homes at the site, arguing that smaller flats would better meet the demand from young people seeking affordable entry onto the housing ladder.
Council officers said the demand for two and three bedroom houses was far greater than that of smaller flats within the district.
A decision on a preferred option will be made during a cabinet meeting of Bromsgrove District Council on Wednesday, November 19.
