Town needs big names

Action is needed to attract bigger businesses to Kidderminster's declining town centre which is still waiting for much-needed regeneration, it was claimed today.

The problem has been highlighted by a struggle to find someone to let the former Adams Kids shop in Worcester Street which closed down nearly two years ago.

Agents who have been handling the property since last September, Doolittle and Dalley, said they were struggling to let it at the current rate of £45,000 a year.

Agent John Andrews said he was considering asking the owner to come up with an incentive to try to drum up more interest in the shop.

Debenhams is due to open a shop at Weavers Wharf soon and a huge regeneration scheme is due to take shape shortly in Worcester Street.

However, businesses are still struggling in the old part of town while these projects get off the ground, many traders say.

Mr Andrews said: "We need something like a rent-free period, or some kind of flexible terms. There has been three people enquire about the shop in the last month but no-one has come back with signs of wanting it."

Mr Andrews said they were in talks with a company wanting to take over the former Prontaprint shop further down the street but this was a quarter of the size of the Adams shop.

He added: "The rent is a lot cheaper on the smaller shop which is why there has been more interest."

A town centre manager has been employed by Wyre Forest District Council to market the town and lure more businesses in.

There are more than 20 empty shops in the town centre.

Peter Picken, chairman of the town centre partnership, wants organisations with an interest in promoting Kidderminster to work together to make the town "an attractive proposition" for companies looking to open new shops.