Merry Hill owner takes tough stance on shops

Shops are being issued with "violation notices" if they break rules at the Black Country's biggest shopping centre.

Traders at Merry Hill could be issued with the notices if they break any of the owner's strict regulations.

In a memo from management, traders have been told action will be taken over breaches including leaving a unit unattended, displaying an unauthorised sign, blocking a fire exit, not disposing of rubbish correctly, giving out unauthorised leaflets or wrongly parking in a service yard.

The last point on the list, which does not say what sanctions would be, refers to "other" unspecified violations.

The memo states the Merry Hill security team will report any breaches that they see. It adds: "A security team leader will visit the offending retail unit and issue a violation notice, stating the reason for the report being made.

"A white copy of the form will be given to the retailer in question at the scene.

"A counter foil pink copy will be provided to the Westfield security manager, Dean Jenkins.

"This will clearly state the principle of centre policy that had been breached and identify the offending retailer."

The scheme started on May 14. The memo said the new notices were a change to "the way that violations are communicated to tenants and managed by Westfield Centre Management".

A trader at Merry Hill, who asked not to be named, said tenants at the shopping centre were "up in arms" over the notices.

The trader claimed some existing tenants were "waiting for the contracts to expire in order to run to the hills".

There have been "countless other pointless communications" from bosses and anger among tenants has "spilled over", the trader said.

The trader claimed "internal politics" behind the notices were deflecting from the aim of riding out the worst recession in decades.

No one from Merry Hill was available to comment today.