The City of Wolverhampton Council announced that they are no longer intending to continue with plans to build homes on Prouds lane playing fields in Bilston

On 10th January 2017, The City of Wolverhampton Council released a statement which read;

 “I want to make it absolutely clear, we will NOT be building on the open space adjacent to the land of the former Bilston Leisure Centre -; and it will remain as a playing field. We also understand the importance of this space to local people, recognise the strength of local feeling, and will be looking at ways to incorporate it into the city’s wider open space plans so it continues to be there for the benefit of local people and future generations. The only formal planning application that has been put forward is for the old Bilston leisure centre land and we will continue to engage extensively with the local community on this to produce plans that take in to account their views. We are continually assessing the viability of a number of land sites across Wolverhampton and this is a major priority for us to meet the huge demand for housing in the City of Wolverhampton”. Lesley Roberts, City of Wolverhampton Council Strategic Director for Housing.

Pat McFadden MP expressed thanks to the local community, he said: “This decision is a real tribute to the efforts of local residents of Bilston. They made clear their opposition to the building on the playing field and their determination to save this important local asset. I said all along that while we need more housing in the area, it should not be built at the expense of important local amenities like this playing field. I am glad that the views of the residents have been listened to and I congratulate everyone locally who took part in the campaign.”