Mixed response to Dudley supermarket plans
Councillors gave a mixed response to multi-million pound plans for a new supermarket in the centre of Dudley, as they agreed to delay making a decision on the regeneration scheme.
The council's planning committee will visit the development site in Trindle Road next month before deciding whether to approve the proposals.
Members were shown artists' impressions giving a glimpse of how the supermarket, which would bring 300 full-time and part-time jobs, could look.
While they all welcomed plans to demolish the "eyesore" office block Cavendish House, some were divided in their views on the project.
Councillor Stuart Turner agreed with the scheme "in principle" and the loss of the Cavendish House, which he said had been " a blot on Dudley's skyline for far too long".
But he told last night's meeting he was concerned that the development would not encourage people into the town centre because of people having to cross the busy Trindle Road.
"People are not going to cross six lanes of traffic to get into the town centre. People in cars will park at the new store, do their shopping and then go," he said.
"What we have is a once- in-a-lifetime opportunity to get this decision right."
His concerns were echoed by Councillor Qadar Zada who said he believed the development would be "segregated from the town centre". But Councillor Tim Wright welcomed the chance to transform the run-down site, saying it would make "a positive contribution to the town centre".
"We've finally got a scheme that's going to regenerate this area, I can't see anything wrong with this scheme at all," he said.
Councillor Colin Wilson added:?"It's a pleasing design and beautifully landscaped."
