Big names help Bridge gap at retail park
Two years ago Bentley Bridge Retail Park in Wolverhampton was a failing complex, with only a handful of businesses and several empty shop units.
Two years ago Bentley Bridge Retail Park in Wolverhampton was a failing complex, with only a handful of businesses and several empty shop units.
But now, after millions of pounds of investment, the landmark business park is filling up, and its owner today insisted that the future is bright.
A number of big-name brands have moved in to transform its fortunes, including Aldi, AMF Bowling and Pure Gym, the Midlands' first 24-hour gym.
Restaurant chain Cosmo and Just For Pets are both close to opening, while JD Sports is the latest name linked with the complex.
According to Tim Rainbird, who is spokesman for AXA Sun Life Plc which owns the park, interest is ever growing in the prime shopping complex.
"We've had some successful planning applications gone through of late," Mr Rainbird said.
"There has been a lot of interest in the empty units. The park is certainly picking up."
The bowling alley moved onto the site in April 2009. The site's owners AMF Bowling moved from its previous site, where Strykers is now in Bushbury, to the new £2.5million alley on Bentley Bridge. The 24-lane alley reopened under new ownership on April 30.
In December, Aldi opened its doors in the town on the site of former bingo hall Mecca, which had been an eyesore and boarded-up for the nine years after being plagued by vandals.
The building was transformed, as part of £6m regeneration plans, into the cut-price supermarket, Pure Gym and Just For Pets, creating 55 jobs in total. The 24-hour gym, staffed from 8am to 8pm, has been taken on a 15-year lease. Meanwhile, Midlands-based Just For Pets is to open a branch to the public on March 25.
Mr Rainbird added: "The units have been empty for five years since the park opened, so it's great news they are being snapped up.
"With Aldi and the gym opening, it's brought jobs to the town and also investment."
Restaurant chain Cosmo is fitting out a new restaurant which is set to open next month, creating 38 jobs. There are already several restaurants on the park surrounding the Cineworld cinema. Cosmo, a Pan Asian restaurant firm which operates 10 eateries in England and Wales, will serve food from China, Japan and Mongolia
Elsewhere, JD Sports is on the verge of snapping up an empty unit on the retail park, bringing more jobs to the area.
The complex also boasts shops including Home Bargains, Sports World and Laura Ashley.
It is a much-needed success story in a region that has been badly hit by the recession and partly fills a void brought about by a lack of progress with the proposed Summer Row scheme in the centre of Wolverhampton.
The city centre was last month named as the area with the most empty units in Britain, and the Summer Row redevelopment hangs in the balance as the city council prepares to loan £20m to developer Multi.
However, the short-term loss is Bentley Bridge's gain, and according to Wednesfield North councillor Neil Clarke, it's what the area needs. He says there is room for a successful out-of-town development at Bentley Bridge and a redeveloped shopping centre within Wolverhampton's ring road.
"It's great news more and more shops are opening on the park," he said.
"We definitely don't want to see any more charity shops here in Wednesfield. It's also nice to have a mix of different shops and also restaurants. It's always a positive thing to see new jobs for the area."
