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New retail park to 'illuminate' Oldbury

A retail park will be built on a former foundry site – with work set to get under way in the next few months.

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It will be built 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, Oldbury, close to Sandwell Council after planning bosses approved it subject to recommendations. Councillor Peter Allen, who sits on the council's planning committee, said it would 'illuminate' the area as a gateway into Oldbury.

"We unanimously approved the plans as it will be a major plus to the town," he said.

"I was part of the last two major bids of something happening there, so to finally see it come together is great news. There will be one medium-sized supermarket and eight or nine other units and three outlets. They reckon it will be about a year to build.

Eleven shops are to be built on the 12-acre site

"It will illuminate that area from the station as a gateway into the town," he added.

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 ever since.

The site, off West Bromwich Street, has long been empty with buildings flattened near Sandwell and Dudley railway station.

The new plans were put forward by property group Hammerson. The company owns Birmingham's Bullring centre and recently bought the city's new Grand Central shopping complex for £335 million.

The decision was made at the councils planning meeting on Wednesday night.

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