Top retaliers wooed to West Bromwich

Debenhams, Marks & Spencer and Primark will be targeted in a bid to convince high quality shops to set up in West Bromwich alongside a new £200 million Tesco development.

Developers have drawn up a wish-list of prime retailers, restaurants and cinemas that they want to bring to the town.

More details of the two-stage multi-million pound regeneration scheme have been revealed, as supermarket bosses present their plans to revamp the town centre.

Consultation documents on the detailed planning application have now been sent out, with interested parties having until June 10 to have their say, with council planners hoping to make a decision on the scheme by September.

The first phase of the 37-acre development could be under way by 2010, with the Tesco Extra supermarket and majority of the shops earmarked to be open by October 2011, with leisure facilities including a long-awaited cinema due by spring 2012.

No start date has yet been set for the second phase to include a department store and hotel, which would begin, depending on economic interest. Developers have highlighted the need to attract a high quality retail brand as the "anchor."

An occupier has not yet been identified, but potential names flagged up in a report to council planners include Bhs, Beatties or Debenhams.