City of Wolverhampton Council has approved plans to build 11 new homes on one of the last undeveloped sections of the historic former Chubb factory site in Heath Town.
The piece of land, formerly used as a bowling green at the now-demolished Gunnebo site on Woden Road, will be transformed into three and four-bedroom houses. This area has remained untouched amid the extensive redevelopment of the site, where more than 100 homes have been constructed in recent years.
The factory once housed Chubb Safes before the business was sold nearly 25 years ago. Following that, the site underwent significant changes, with residential development steadily progressing.
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An earlier plan approved in 2025 proposed 15 flats and homes on the site but was revised due to concerns about overcrowding. The current application, submitted by Rupinder Kaur of Dyal Homes, is considered comparable in scale and character to previous proposals and has been favourably received.
A council report supporting the application noted that “the principle of residential development on the site has already been established through the grant of planning permission in 2025 for the erection of 15 dwellings, which remains extant.” The site consists of the former bowling green and an associated car park.
The report further stated that through earlier applications and supporting evidence, it was satisfactorily demonstrated that the recreational facility was no longer needed at this location. Additionally, the applicant has agreed to provide an appropriate off-site financial contribution to enhance nearby sports and recreational facilities.
Consequently, the loss of the existing facility is deemed acceptable, and the redevelopment aligns with the development plan’s goals to make effective use of land and provide additional housing.
Initial proposals to develop housing here date back to 2019, but the council then considered the area an active recreational site. The green’s pavilion was demolished in 2021 due to its deteriorated condition and potential fire risk.
In 2022, City of Wolverhampton Council approached Gunnebo Safe Storage UK with plans to convert the former bowling green into a skate park as part of legacy projects for the Birmingham Commonwealth Games, following increased local interest. However, that initiative did not progress, leaving the site unused.
By 2023, the council had determined that the land remained unused, was redundant for recreational purposes, and saw no interest from either the local authority or community to develop it for sports activities. Unfortunately, the site became a hotspot for vandalism and anti-social behaviour.
The safe-making operations of Chubb were sold to Swedish company Assa Abloy in 2000, which later transferred the business to Gunnebo. Shortly after, Gunnebo closed the Wolverhampton safe works factory, resulting in 170 redundancies. The factory was deemed too large for Gunnebo’s needs after much manufacturing moved to new sites in Willenhall and Wednesfield, with main offices relocating to Pendeford Business Park.
This latest housing development marks the final phase of redeveloping the former Chubb factory site, continuing the transformation of this historic location to meet modern housing demands.