Christian Barnett, Express & Star Journalist Profile

Articles

Ageing Wednesbury pavilion will finally be demolished for new £1m changing rooms

1 week ago | expressandstar.com | Christian Barnett

The 70-year-old pavilion at the Hydes Road playing fields in Wednesbury will be demolished and replaced by Sandwell Council as part of plans to improve facilities. The plans for Hydes Road, Wednesbury, now approved by the Black Country local authority, include a new pavilion with changing rooms, showers, toilets, a community room and a kitchen. The project was expected to have been completed by March 2025 but the deadline was then pushed back to January 2026.
Wolverhampton venue’s licence suspended over after hours drinking

1 week ago | expressandstar.com | Christian Barnett

City of Wolverhampton Council has suspended the licence of De Fusion Bar and Restaurant in Exchange Street, Wolverhampton, for two weeks after the venue had been found to have breached several conditions of its licence – including serving alcohol after hours.
Wolverhampton hotel restaurant to be demolished for expansion

1 week ago | expressandstar.com | Christian Barnett

City of Wolverhampton Council has approved plans by budget hotel chain Premier Inn to demolish the former Bluebrick at its Wolverhampton city centre hotel and replace it with a new restaurant and 23 extra rooms. The five-storey hotel in Broad Gauge Way sits next to Wolverhampton railway station and the neighbouring listed former Low Level station – now a banqueting hall and wedding venue.
Calls to refuse Bilston garage’s 24-hour alcohol plan

1 week ago | expressandstar.com | Christian Barnett

Motor Fuel Group wants to change the licence at its petrol garage at the Morrisons supermarket next to the Black Country Route in Bilston to allow alcohol to be sold 24/7. The local authority’s licensing department has called for the 24-hour move to be refused over ‘insufficient’ information in the application on how the longer hours would not add to existing alcohol problems.
Fresh move to convert listed building in West Bromwich into 36-bed HMO

1 week ago | expressandstar.com | Christian Barnett

The move would see the former grade II listed solicitors offices at 315-319 High Street, West Bromwich, converted into a 36-bed HMO. The same planning application was turned down by Sandwell Council at the start of the year. A statement included with the new application by Rachpal Takkhar said: “The building has been vacant for the last few years and the proposed use will bring the building in use and would create more activities to the street.
Supermarket to move onto Wolverhampton city centre retail park

2 weeks ago | expressandstar.com | Christian Barnett

Frozen food supermarket chain Farmfoods has had plans to move into a unit on the Mitre Retail Park in Wolverhampton city centre. The retail park off Bilston Road is already home to stores such as Go Outdoors and the Energie Fitness gym, with Farmoods set to take over the former Carpetright store. The carpet store was among several stores that were forced to close in June last year after Carpetright went into administration.
West Bromwich school’s 3G football pitch approved

2 weeks ago | expressandstar.com | Christian Barnett

Sandwell Council has approved plans to build the 3G synthetic pitch at the Phoenix Collegiate in Clarkes Lane, West Bromwich. The new pitch, which will be built on the school’s existing fields, is part of a move to replace playing fields in Wednesbury that are being used for more than 100 new homes.
Plans to relocate Bilston specialist school to industrial estate rejected

2 weeks ago | expressandstar.com | Christian Barnett

The independent specialist Bow Street School in Bilston had submitted a planning application as part of a planned move across the town to the Spring Road Industrial Estate. However, planners at City of Wolverhampton Council rejected the proposal to move to Cozens and Cole belt manufacturing warehouse in Spring Road, Ettingshall, saying the industrial estate was an unsuitable site for a school.
Smethwick High Street HMO would ‘make everything 100 times worse’ according to angry neighbours

2 weeks ago | expressandstar.com | Christian Barnett

New plans would see a number of extensions built above and behind Viney’s Opticians in High Street, Smethwick, to make way for the house of multiple occupation (HMO).
New 3G floodlit pitch to be built at West Bromwich school

2 weeks ago | birminghammail.co.uk | Christian Barnett

The new pitch is part of a move to replace playing fields in Wednesbury that are being used for more than 100 new homesThe proposed new 3G pitch at the Phoenix Collegiate, Clarkes Lane, West Bromwich(Image: Phoenix Collegiate)A new artificial floodlit pitch will be built at a West Bromwich school after receiving the backing of planners. Sandwell Council has approved plans to build the 3G synthetic pitch at the Phoenix Collegiate in Clarkes Lane, West Bromwich.