Is Cradley Library set for move to shops?
Cradley Library could move to a revamped shopping parade under plans which feature a supermarket, new shops and flats.
Campaigners have forged a two-year bid to have rundown shops in Colley Gate, Cradley, transformed, claiming boarded-up shops, some of which have been torched in arson attacks, are blighting the area.
Ward councillors say that relocating the town's library, currently around the corner in Colley Lane, is part of the proposals.
They claim Cradley Library is one of the least used in Dudley borough and they say the move could boost the numbers using it.
Developers Hortons' Estates and Antringham showcased their ideas to around 100 people who attended the Cradley Action Group meeting on Wednesday night.
Dudley Council own two of the properties on the land and the developers are entering talks with the landlords of the others to buy the four remaining stores.
If agreements cannot be reached Dudley Council says it will seek to use compulsory purchase powers to secure the properties. A planning application would still need to be submitted for the scheme.
A supermarket and three other retail units would be built alongside the library and a car park with 36 spaces. Fourteen flats would also be constructed.
The scheme won broad support from group members but they urged officials to move quickly and make progress on the scheme.
