Dudley shopping centre abandons revamp in row with council

The owner of the Trident Centre said there would be 'no investment' in Dudley.

John Sykes, chairman of Atlantis Property which owns shopping centres up and down the country, said he had been irritated by his requests for meetings with council chiefs going ignored.

However, council bosses have insisted they were committed to working with the company.

The row appears to have scuppered a major revamp of the shopping centre, as well as other buildings on High Street. The renovation of the shopping centre has been included in a council masterplan to change the face of the town centre.

New shops and leisure attractions were to be added to the centre while the firm also wanted to create 185 apartments.

But Mr Sykes said he had now decided not to go ahead with the plans due to his frustration with the authority.

He said: "There will be absolutely no building or re-development of the Trident Centre while these people are in power.

"As an investor I want to meet and have a dialogue. We were very much for this development. We commissioned an architect and would have been submitting pre-applications but it has stopped. I have pulled the plug."

Councillor Khurshid Ahmed, Dudley regeneration boss, said: "We have been in regular correspondence with the chief executive of Atlantis Property, the latest being sent to him by our chief executive Sarah Norman on Monday evening to which we have yet to receive a response.

"We have again confirmed our willingness to meet with him to progress his proposals and look forward to his reply.

"We have already been working with several private landlords to bring many derelict buildings back into use and we will continue to work with anyone who shares our vision to bring new business and residential properties to the borough."

The Dudley Area Action Plan, a document published by the council, said the centre has 'considerable redevelopment potential'.

The row over the Trident Centre is a blow to council plans. Their ideas for the site came after it was revealed the Birdcage Walk and other streets near Dudley bus station could be in line for a revamp.

There are several proposals for Dudley, including revamping the bus station and extending the Midland Metro into the town.