Beatties owner says restoration of famous Wolverhampton landmark will start soon
The owner of Wolverhampton's Beatties building says he will transform the famous landmark, despite concerns about delays to the work.
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Hiten Raghwani, director of Eden (Beatties) Ltd, said work would begin soon on the multi-million pound scheme to turn the former department store into 306 flats.
Wolverhampton Council had threatened Eden with prosecution amid concerns about the neglected state of the building and delays to submitting a timeline for the work.
Mr Raghwani said these plans had now been submitted to the council's satisfaction, although he warned that there had to be some realism about the appearance of the site while the work was being carried out.
Eden bought the 100-year-old Art Deco building a year ago for £6 million following the collapse of previous owner SSYS Beatties.
He said the site had been repeatedly targeted by vandals and squatters, but he was doing his best to keep it secure.
In September last year Wolverhampton Council gave permission for its plans to redevelop the building, which will also include 70,000 sq ft of commercial floorspace being retained at ground-floor level.
Earlier this month, the council said it was planning to prosecute the company over its failure to comply with an enforcement notice and a condition outlining a timetable for the work. The timeline was submitted this week, and the condition has now been discharged.
