Crisis talks will be held this week between council chiefs and worried Wolverhampton shopkeepers who fear they could be ruined by the building of the city’s new bus station.

Tomorrow’s  meeting was set up after traders in Queen Street revealed takings had plunged by up to 60 per cent since the terminus shut on April 3 for the £22.5 million redevelopment which is expected to take up to 18 months to complete.

The businesses claimed earlier talks between the council and Centro had failed to resolve their current difficulties.

The problems were blamed on thousands of passengers no longer walking past their shops from the station and parking being banned in the road to let buses stop there.

Steve Boyes, Wolverhampton City Council’s director of sustainable communities, said today: “Ideas and suggestions were put forward by various parties at a recent meeting with representatives of the Queen Street traders, the city centre company and other businesses.

“It was agreed that time should be given to consider the points raised before a further meeting and this has now been arranged.

“The council is committed to working with the Queen Street traders to help resolve these issues.”

Chris Perry, head of operational services at Centro,  said: “We take these concerns very seriously and are in ongoing talks about a variety of proposals including marketing opportunities and reinforcing the message that Wolverhampton city centre is still open for business.

“Lots of factors were carefully considered when deciding the location of temporary bus stops, including walking distances and traffic congestion to help minimise disruption.

“We have tried to put as many bus stops as possible near to the current bus station site but have also listened carefully to local concerns and have submitted a proposal to the traffic commissioner to re-route some services from mid-May, to provide better access to the train station and businesses along Queen Street.”