Developers in a Black Country town are hoping to encourage a car dealership to take over empty land after putting plans for a new housing development on hold.
Burson Land wants to build up to 40 new homes on the site of a former Baptist Church in Cradley Heath town centre, but the plans have been put on ice until the housing market picks up again.
The Cradley Heath-based firm has now been given permission to put up seven new advertising hoardings on the landmark site, at the corner of St Anne’s Road and Lower High Street.
Negotiations are also ongoing for other temporary uses, including bringing in a car dealer and setting up a car wash.
Bosses at Burson Land say they want to make sure the land is put to use rather than left derelict, until the housing scheme can be resurrected.
The old church building was flattened in 2007 to make way for the proposed apartment development, but it could now be years until that goes ahead because of the slow-down in the market.
The landowners are now looking into the possibility of building a temporary stand to house a hand car wash area and a car sales centre, with parking for customers.
This would be in addition to putting up the seven advertising boards for rent along the roadside.
Burson Land director Mark Stewardson said: “Because the market is so unsettled at the moment we are considering various schemes so for now we just want to have a temporary use while we are drawing up details for a more permanent option.
“We want to have a use for the land otherwise it will just become another scrap of derelict land and an eyesore.
“It is about trying to make something of the land that will add a bit of interest to that bottom end of the high street, which is really neglected to be honest.”
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