The Old Bakery cottage on Lichfield Road in Mere Green, adjacent to Ian Hazel Funerals’ premises, was last inhabited by a family in 1955.
Working with Royal Sutton Coldfield Town Council’s preservation and planning teams, managing director Ian Hazel has been able to salvage the building with a new roof, walls and windows, while saving centuries-old features including original fireplaces, window frames and beams. It will now become a 656 sq ft retail unit.
The remaining site is set to become a commercial development with 3,500 square feet of office space across three floors. The site will also have 14 parking spaces.
Ian (pictured), a fourth-generation funeral director, who started development plans for the site in 2020, says it will accommodate more than 20 employees.
He said: “It is a very proud moment for me to return to use an area of Sutton Coldfield that for various reasons has been derelict for several years, and, in the case of the cottage, for decades.
“As a long-standing business based in Mere Green, serving the local community in their time of bereavement and loss, we are so happy to see the work near completion and the site soon to be in full use.
“We know the last resident was Beatrice Wakeman, who herself was interviewed about the property by the Sutton Coldfield Observer in June 2007.
“Working further back, the cottage has been described as The Old Bakery, although we have not unearthed any evidence of a bakery ever being there and no reason as to why it is called that!
Residents of Sutton Coldfield who have any further knowledge of the site are encouraged to contact Ian Hazel on 0121 308 7777.
