Aldi revives plans for landmark Dudley pub site

The King Arthur, off Birmingham New Road, has lay derelict for three years and was boarded up after repeated vandal and arson attacks.

Councillors refused Aldi permission to demolish the pub back in September, telling bosses they needed more concrete and detailed proposals.

The supermarket has now created these more detailed documents, saying the 1,000 sq ft store will create 40 jobs and a 94-space car park. Vehicles would also access the shop from Priory Road, with the Birmingham New Road entrance closed off.

Previous plans to turn the pub into a hotel failed to materialise and campaigners have become increasingly worried that the abandoned building is becoming an eyesore.

Councillor Ken Finch, who represents the Castle and Priory ward on Dudley Council, said the Aldi plan was in the best interests of the community.

"We have had a long-standing problem in that area, it was going to be a hotel or flats but it never happened," he said.

"There has been concerns about fly-tipping, anti-social behaviour and gypsies going on there.

"The only concern with the plan is traffic, that is the only possible problem I see with it."

Councillor Finch said he would be sad to see the pub go but that its potential demolition was a 'fact of life'.

"People say it is the gateway to Dudley and it has been there for years but this is the best thing we can expect to tidy the area up, and in that area there is no big supermarket to serve the estates around there without going into Dudley town centre," he said. "It is a shame when any pub closes but it is a fact of life at the moment."

The pub was built in 1939. In 2010, Dudley Council added it to its list of Buildings of Local Historical Importance but English Heritage decided against giving it listed status due to the loss of original features.

In a design statement submitted with the plans, Aldi said the site was the 'most appropriate' for a new store and that it would 'not deter investment' from the town centre.