Car parks hope after store go-ahead
New long-stay car parks could be created in a village near Wolverhampton in a bid to boost custom for local traders who fear their businesses could suffer when a supermarket sets up shop nearby.
New long-stay car parks could be created in a village near Wolverhampton in a bid to boost custom for local traders who fear their businesses could suffer when a supermarket sets up shop nearby.
Traders in Wombourne have joined forces to form an association and will be holding a crisis meeting with parish council chiefs after Sainsbury's was given the go-ahead to create a store in the village.
They are demanding extra car parks are created and that the village is spruced up to attract more trade.
Supermarket giant Sainsbury's was finally given the nod to create a store in Wombourne, despite having their first plans thrown out by planning chiefs. Parish councillors objected to the supermarket plans. Now traders will be meeting with them.
South Staffordshire MP Sir Patrick Cormack will also be attending.
Chairman of the association Keith Boxley, who owns Boxley's butchers, said: "We knew really that we wouldn't have the power to stop Sainsbury's so now we want to make Wombourne as attractive as it can be so more people come to the village.
"We will be holding a meeting with the traders and parish councillors.
"One of the main things which will be discussed is car parking in Wombourne. We feel there should be tighter controls on the parking already there and there are some areas of land which we believe can be turned into new long-stay car parks because parking can be a problem.
"We are also asking for the village to be better maintained, it's things like trimming back hedges and generally making the best of it.
"It's things we can all work together to do to make Wombourne more attractive."
Sainsbury's will be transforming a derelict factory site in Heath Mill Road industrial site into a supermarket, although they have not yet set a date for the work.
Bitter rivals Tesco also still has plans in to create its own supermarket in the current Static Systems factory site just yards from the Sainsbury's site. The 22,000sq ft Sainsbury's store will have a customer cafe, recycling facilities and a 200-space car park. Bosses will also launch a bus hopper service to take shoppers to and from the village centre in a bid to help local tradrers as well as installing new signs directing people to the High Street.
As part of the transformation the junction of Heath Mill Road industrial estate and Bridgnorth Road will also be improved and traffic lights installed due to the extra traffic expected when the store opens its doors.
The supermarket will create 250 jobs and bosses said they had already been bombarded with requests from people asking to work there.
