Construction firm Seddon has secured a contract to deliver a £14 million housing scheme in Oldbury. The project will involve building new council homes and transforming the outdated Alfred Gunn House block in Langley.

Approximately £12 million will be invested in the housing scheme in restoring the block of flats, as well as plans to build an extra ten two-bedroom flats on the roof with redundant storage sheds on the ground floor being removed to create a further four two-bedroom flats.

External improvements to Alfred Gunn House include new windows and external cladding, improvements to balconies, a new roof and extra parking for tenants and visitors.

Further internal refurbishment work will see existing lifts replaced and upgraded fire protection along with new decoration and lighting to communal areas and corridors plus improved entrance and security systems.

The scheme also includes 16 much-needed new council homes on council-owned land adjacent to Alfred Gunn in Old Hobiscus Lane, bringing the Sandwell Council’s overall investment in the area to £14 million.

“It’s great news that this contract has been awarded and we can look forward to a major facelift for Alfred Gunn House as well as another 16 new council homes nearby. One of our priorities for this block was to look at how we could remodel the flats to suit the changing needs of our tenants and to increase the number of affordable homes in the area,” said Councillor Joanne Hadley, Sandwell’s cabinet member for homes.

Refurbishment work to Alfred Gunn House is expected to begin in early 2020.