There are fears for the future of a £100 million retail park and leisure centre in the Black Country, which has been on the table for more than a decade, as the credit crunch bites.

A senior council source today revealed there are major concerns about future of the plans in Oldbury. Back in March it was hoped that bulldozers would be moving on to the site in the town within months, yet planning delays mean bosses behind The Junction project have yet to buy up all the land and work has been further delayed.

The source, who does not want to be named, said: “The company have 90 per cent of the land but a compulsory purchase order on the remaining site, the Gupta Trading Estate, has still to go ahead.

“This appears to be a sticking point at the moment. At the very best we can expect to see significant delays.”

The planned development includes a shopping centre which it is hoped will attract top name shops, leisure facilities and a sports centre.

The giant development is set to fill 15 acres.

It was hoped that the shopping facilities would enable the town to compete with nearby Merry Hill, Wolverhampton and Birmingham and would bring 1,750 jobs to the area,

Under the plans the leisure provision would include an eight-pitch, small-sided soccer facility with pavilion, ice skating rink, health and fitness leisure suite with swimming pool and a climbing wall.

The site itself is largely derelict, including former industrial area between Fountain Lane, Oldbury Ringway and Bromford Road.

These currently include office buildings, car parks, industrial units, disused buildings, parts of a former sewage works and a disused engineering factory.

Councillor Bob Badham, Sandwell Council’s cabinet member for transport and regeneration said: “We are still in talks with the company about this to make sure everything is in place to go ahead.”

The director of development at The Junction was unavailable for comment today.