Shop units axed from £200m West Bromwich development
Shop units are being axed from the new £200 million New Square development in West Bromwich under proposals to revise the layout, it has emerged.
Four large retail units are being cut from the development due to changes in 'current commercial market interest' to the scheme, a letter submitted to Sandwell Council's planning department states.
However, under revised plans, extra car parking spaces will be created at the shopping and leisure scheme which is due to open its doors to customers this spring.
Bosses of the scheme have submitted alterations to the council asking for the removal of four large retail units and proposals for changes to the layout of one of the car parks to create three decks rather than five previously. This will reduce the number of spaces inside from 687 to 509.
However, a reconfiguration of the surface level car park will create 184 extra spaces, 552 up from 368, meaning an overall increase at car park B of six spaces: from 1,055 to 1061.
A report to Sandwell Council from Nathaniel Lichfield & Partners, which is working on behalf of Tesco, said the changes would improve traffic flow.
It said: "It is considered the revised layout of the surface car park, both in term, of the access as vehicles pass through the barriers and enter the car park and the overall internal layout of car park B, including vehicle circulation, is such that it will not lead to vehicles queuing out of the car park and impacting upon the operation of the adopted public highway."
The report said the changes would not have any impact on any of the conclusions previously made on the back of transport assessments.
Sandwell Council is expected to make a decision on whether to approve the revised changes by the end of this month.
The 473,000 sq ft New Square development, at land adjacent to Congregation Way and The Expressway, will be anchored by a Tesco Extra store, and will also include Primark, Next, Outfit and JD Sports, with Nandos, Prezzo, Costa Coffee and Harvester.
It will be managed by Steve Burr, who has more than 30 years of retail experience and helped to oversee the regeneration of Birmingham city centre in 2003.
The Tesco store, Odeon cinema, Next and Bank will be accessible next month.
