January opening for £30m supermarket

A £30million supermarket will open in a Black Country town on January 18, it has emerged today.

Traders in Willenhall have been given the date for the launch of the town's Morrisons store.

Building of the 75,000 sq ft shop, which is being created on the site of the former Yale lockworks in Wood Street, is now finally complete. Shopfitters are busy erecting shelves and checkouts and creating aisles – and the chain's famous yellow signs are also being put up this week.

A stampede of 4,000 jobhunters clamoured for 300 positions being created at the supermarket when recruitment days were held earlier this year.

It is hoped its launch will kickstart the much-needed regeneration of a town hit badly by the recession and the demise of its lock-making heritage.

Willenhall South Councillor Carl Creaney said: "It is desperately needed and I think it will have a positive impact encouraging more people and investment in Willenhall.

"As part of the scheme they are also investing £200,000 in things like fingerposting telling people the market and shopping centre is still open for business.

"It worked in Bilston so I don't see why it can't work here."

Members of Willenhall Traders and Community Support Group, which is made up of residents, shopkeepers and also councillors, have been given forms to fill in explaining what sort of impact they think the opening of Morrisons will have on the town centre in 2010.