Council Closes Road Due to Safety Fears
Since October 2013 I have asked the City Council to take action and force the owners of the building in Corn Hill to either bring the building into use, or to demolish it so that we can have the highway back in full use. For years Corn Hill has been closed for highway traffic Now the time has come to make safe the building so that the highway can again be reused, or that the building be demolished immediately.
Building Engineers I understand have been forced to act and the whole of Corn Hill has now been closed due to the very real safety concerns engineers have, so now even the pedestrians and cyclists have been banned over the week end from using the access due to fears the building is now so unsafe.
This section of road, in my mind a key road and strategic highway close to Wolverhampton City Centre has been out of use for too long.
The actions taken over this weekend is because engineers have concerns about the structural safety of the building. I applaud the city council who have proactively taken the decision to close Corn Hill, in Horseley Fields, in the interests of public safety.
The section either side of the Steam Mill building was already closed to vehicles, but the closure has now been extended to pedestrians and cyclists following fresh concerns about the structural safety of the disused building. Access is maintained to Albion Street and the public car park from the Willenhall Road end of Corn Hill. Access to the Great Western Pub is maintained from Sun Street.
Looking down Corn Hill with the Steam Mill in the foreground.
Whilst I understand that the Steam Mill is a key regeneration site, surely the time has come for the building to be demolished. This City has been without the use of this road for far too long…its around 8 years now. Another 8 days of closure is too long in my view. This is costing the City in loss of the highway, and it is affecting the business of others. Please take action now and bring forward the regeneration of the site. Knock the Steam Mill down and make it safe.
