River Island in Walsall to relocate to retail park

River Island in Walsall will quit the town's main shopping street and relocate to a retail park after permission for the move was granted.

But there were calls being made today for the former store in Park Street to not to be allowed to remain empty for too long.

Bosses at River Island said work on the move to the Crown Wharf Shopping Park would start within weeks.

The firm has applied for planning permission for new signs and a mezzanine floor to be put up at a unit at the shopping park in Wolverhampton Street which used to be occupied by Birthdays.

Holly Fulco, spokeswoman for River Island, said: "Our lease runs out in Park Street but the configuration of the store didn't work for us any longer and this move means we retain an operation in Walsall in better configured premises."

The planned moved comes after Topshop closed its Park Street store in favour of a concession at the Crown Wharf last year.

The number of empty units in Walsall town centre has fallen from 94 to 88 recently but there are fears it will leave a big unit on the main shopping street empty.

Councillor Pete Smith said: "It is a large building and I hope it is not left to stand empty for too long."

The new £65 million Tesco store close to the Crown Wharf is said to have acted as a magnet but council chiefs say the balance will be redressed when Primark opens in the Old Square Shopping Centre in 2013.