Developers plan residential scheme at Black Country shopping centre
DEVELOPERS are seeking planning permission to construct a new residential scheme on the car park of a Black Country shopping centre.
Evolve Estates wants to build 39 apartments and maisonettes at the Moor Centre car park, Brierley Hill.
It is hoped the development could kickstart further regeneration in the town, which has struggled for decades due to the giant Merry Hill shopping centre being on its doorstep.
Matthew Pegg, asset manager at LCP (London & Cambridge Properties), which manages the centre, said the planned scheme would invigorate an area that has historically struggled to attract new retailers and would hopefully act as a catalyst for further investment.
“Dudley needs affordable housing in particular and we are confident that this sustainable town centre development will provide not only a social need but also create benefits for local residents, businesses and shops, whilst utilising a brownfield site” he said.
“We believe it will act as a catalyst for further redevelopment within the town centre, which has long been regarded as in need of investment, and we believe that it will be an active street screen, creating a safe and attractive environment in an area that can suffer from antisocial behaviour during non-operational hours.”
A planning application has been submitted to Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council for the development, which would be a mix of one, two and three bedroom homes with dedicated car parking spaces at the front of the development.
The scheme will reduce the number of car parking spaces at the shopping centre from 169 to 60, but LCP said independent analysis had demonstrated there would be sufficient space for the number of drivers who use the car park.
It said that even following the introduction of free car parking in December last year, the car park had spare capacity with spaces remaining empty during peak hours.
The building is planned to be sympathetic to the architecture of the local area.
“We wanted to take design elements from the surrounding Victorian villas architecture and echo that in the planned development,” said Mr Pegg.
