Asda expansion to end Walsall eyesore

Asda wants to build a petrol station on its existing car parking site and then demolish the closed Old Kings Arms pub and use the vacant land to build a new parking area.

It comes despite the supermarket chain suffering a 'tough year' in 2015. It has announced it will be shutting photo centres at seven of its stores across the Black Country and Staffordshire.

A planning application, submitted to Walsall Council, states that Asda wants to build a four pump petrol filling station – which would comprise of eight filling positions – on the land of its current car park at Woodall Street.

To replace the car parking spaces that would be lost by the petrol station and the single jet wash bay, Asda proposes to demolish the derelict former Old Kings Arms pub to the north east of the site as well as using vacant land south of the supermarket to create a staff-only car park with a barrier and a pin code to access.

The current car park provides 340 spaces, including 10 parent and child spaces and 17 disabled bays, but the new plans would see this total capacity reduced to 318, whilst maintaining the same number of parent and child spaces but reducing the number of disabled bays to 15.

The supermarket chain also wants to change its access to the site, with the entrance from the High Street becoming an exit as well.

Bloxwich East Councillor Kath Phillips, who also serves as the council's deputy mayor, was hopeful for the plans and was pleased to see the supermarket giant finally had a plan for the old 'eyesore' pub.

She said: "I don't think people will be objecting to it. That pub has been an eyesore for so many years. I was disgusted when Asda bought but did nothing with it, it would've been a perfectly good site for the new chemist they put inside the store.

"If these plans mean it will end the eyesore then great, these eyesores are spoiling our town.

"We have lost garages left right and centre as well in this area and it now means our nearest one is in Leamore. So this new filling station will be useful.

"I am quite pleased and hopefully this will be a good news story."

The Petrol Station is to be provided by Asda in association with the adjacent supermarket. It is proposed that the filling station will use 'pay at the pump' self-service payment and will not require a kiosk.

In 2014 the superstore expanded to incorporate home shopping. 25 new jobs were created because of the expansion.