A PLANNING application has been submitted to bulldoze Cradley Heath Municipal Buildings.

Sandwell Leisure Trust is buying the site to expand Haden Hill Leisure Centre’s car park and part of the land will also be sold to the Fire Service to build a brand new fire station.

However, on the planning application the reason given for demolition is “for development, car parking and residential development” raising the possibility that houses might be built on part of the site.

Sandwell Council submitted the planning application to demolish the buildings to its planning department and it will be only a matter of months before the Municipal Buildings are erased from history.

The buildings were built shortly after Rowley Regis received its charter as a municipal borough in 1933 to replace the original council offices in Lawrence Lane, Old Hill.

The foundation stone was laid by the last Mayor of Rowley Regis, Alderman Thomas Deeley, on October 23 1937 and the building was then officially opened in December 1938.