New funeral home takes over shops

A funeral parlour is to open in a South Staffordshire village hit by a spate of shop closures, it was revealed today.

Co-operative Midcounties is taking on the stores left empty by Jonathan Edwards florist and fruit store and Haroli's Bakery.

Traders have complained that the impact of a £15 million Sainsbury's opening in the village in February last year, and an increase in tickets issued by traffic wardens, have wiped out trade. The new Co-op Midcounties branch will create two permanent jobs, as well as an unspecified number of maintenance workers.

Local tradesmen, builders and architects are being hired for the refit, which is already under way.

The funeral home will open in May. The two businesses which it replaces both stopped trading in January.

But some traders say they are disappointed that the vacant stores have not been filled, with businesses more likely to pull in shoppers.

Wombourne parish council chairman Barry Bond said: "We would have preferred a business that would bring in more footfall for shoppers. Now it really will be the dead centre of Wombourne.

"There were rumours it would be a building society, which would have been ideal because people would travel to reach it and do their shopping at the same time. A funeral parlour doesn't have the same impact.

"On the positive side of things, traders in the village are trying to remain upbeat about the situation they're facing and they are determined that we will lead what needs to be a national fight-back for villages."

In addition to the Windmill Bank stores, the Friendly Pet Shop and a village takeaway store have also closed in recent months.

Co-operative Midcounties regional manager Haydn Lynn said: "The new branch will provide a link between the Co-op's existing branches in Kingswinford and Codsall. The development will combine two former shop units on Windmill Bank and will provide work for local tradesmen during the refit."