Shopping complex for former Oldbury foundry
A retail park will be built on a former foundry site in Oldbury, under plans by the new owners of Birmingham's Grand Central shopping centre.
Eleven shops – including a discount foodstore – will be built on the 12-acre site in Bromford Road if the proposal gets the go-ahead.
The scheme is a scaled-back version of long-running plans for a retail site dubbed The Junction.
A retail park was first mooted for the site near Oldbury Ringway 18 years ago, with plans coming and going in various guises ever since.
The site, off West Bromwich Street, has long been left empty with buildings flattened near to Sandwell and Dudley railway station. The new plans, by property group Hammerson, suggest the scheme is truly back on the cards.
The company owns Birmingham's Bullring centre and recently bought the city's new Grand Central shopping complex for £335 million.
However, ward Councillor Mahboob Hussain said he would only believe the scheme will go ahead when he actually sees work being done there.
Councillor Hussain told the Express & Star: "It's good news that the planning application has gone in and I hope it happens.
"But this has been going on since 1997, so I'll only believe it when I see it.
"The land has been empty for near enough 20 years now.
"A number of schemes have come forward but haven't gone through.
"Any proposals to redevelop a brownfield site are welcomed."
David Yale, who owns the Jolly Collier pub in Junction Street, said the plans were keenly anticipated.
He said: "It's a fantastic idea. I can't believe it's dragged on for so long. It will create jobs, bring revenue to Oldbury and just don't know why it has taken this long."
A design and access statement submitted as part of the plans states: "The site, now vacant, was previously the home of Hunt Brothers Griffin Foundry which was demolished in 2003 to make way for a larger retail and leisure development that didn't come to fruition. Smaller scale industrial units had occupied the northern end of the site since the 1950s."
Permission was initially granted for the shopping centre in November 2004.
In 2007, 2009 and 2011, Sandwell Council granted approval to amendments.
A £50 million scheme, covering a 34-acre site and creating 1,000 jobs, was given final approval in 2011 but the land has remained empty ever since.
