Crown House demolition

Work to demolish Crown House in Kidderminster has been completed.

The council took back control of the site on Monday 30 March 2020. This came after it formally accepted the surrender of the lease which still had 48 years left to run.

While the council develops proposals for the site it looks set to be a temporary car park after planning permission was granted at the end of last year.

The council is working on proposals for the site as part of its submission to Government for funding from the Future High Streets Fund Initiative. It is preparing a full business case submission for funds to develop the Crown House site, Bromsgrove Street car park area and the Former Magistrates’ Court and indoor market on Worcester Street. The business case has to be submitted later this year and the council expects to hear the outcome by the end of 2020.

Councillor Fran Oborski, Wyre Forest District Council’s Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Economic Regeneration, Planning & Capital Investment said:

“We’re delighted Crown House has now been demolished. It took a number of years for the council and its formal tenant, Telereal Trillium, to reach a successful agreement to demolish the site at no cost to the tax-payer.

“We always believed that the removal of Crown House from the town centre landscape would be a major step forward and we are working hard on proposals for the redevelopment of this site. A degree of patience will be required though and it will take some time before we are able to deliver the final vision and in the meantime we want to make use of the space to help people park close to the town and easily access the shops and services that are available.”

jonny Pitts, Planning and Disposals Director at Telereal Trillium said: “We are pleased to have completed this complex demolition, which concludes our leasehold liability surrender, and returned this strategic town centre site to Wyre Forest District Council ready for regeneration. We will follow the council’s plans for the site with interest and feel sure it can once again make a valuable contribution to town centre life in Kidderminster.”

Crown House had been part of Kidderminster Town Centre’s landscape for the past fifty years. You can watch the whole process of the demolition on a time lapse video.