Fears over store site

A prime spot former department store based in Kidderminster is still without a buyer 18 months after it closed, prompting fears it could now be facing demolition.

The Littlewoods store in Worcester Street closed its doors in January last year and was sold off to high street clothing chain Primark.

The shop was one of 120 bought by Primark but the retail giant decided not to press ahead with the development and bosses today described the site as "troublesome," confirming that no-one else is in the frame to take it over.

Geoff Lancaster, head of external affairs at Primark, said today that "no progress" had been made in securing a new owner.

He said: "Primark Property did not want to convert the building into separate units and are trying to sell it.

"It is proving troublesome. This is a large store in a prestigious site in Worcester Street. It is not suitable for us and came with a parcel of stores.

"But in the West Midlands we have several large stores and to open one in Kidderminster would be cutting off our nose to spite our face."

Kidderminster Town Centre Partnership chairman Peter Picken is hoping someone could be found to take on the building. He said it had been constructed on a prime site in the town at a time when stores wanted three-storey frontages.

"It served a purpose at the time but it appears as time has gone on that only the out-of-town locations have wanted these larger units.

"Not many companies use the larger areas for retail. They employ the minimum of staff and seem to have got into a system of being able to put goods into smaller areas.

"At some stage it might be up to a developer to consider demolishing the building because it does not seem to meet modern criteria."