A former Walsall nightclub and listed building, which has been left in a poor state since being empty over the last four years, is getting renovated.
The building on Lichfield Street has played host to the Equator Nightclub, Chicago Rock Café and a number of buffet restaurants, including Fiesta Buffet.
The Grade II listed building has fell into disrepair since the nightclub closed with a heritage condition report by Node stating it is deteriorating after vandalism, rot and water damage.
Inside the derelict nightclub on Lichfield Street, Walsall. Credit: Node
The report stated that “132 Lichfield Street is in a parlous condition. The building is derelict and is not watertight. Traditional structural elements and fittings are deteriorating rapidly, principally through extensive water ingress, brown rot, and vandalism.
Without urgent investment, the designated heritage asset will be at risk of further, substantial loss of fabric, leading to considerable adverse impacts to both its individual, significance, and its contributions to the conservation area. There are three distinct structural elements within the site. Of these, only the early-to-mid eighteenth century building that fronts Lichfield Street contains features of heritage interest.”
In a Walsall Council meeting on June 20, plans were approved for K5unner Properties to convert the building into 28 apartments, providing that show an “evidence-led approach to intervention and repair” and preserve some of its most prominent features.