Shops and flats plan for Brownhills yards away from derelict shopping centre bought by Aldi
Brownhills High Street could be set for another retail boost through plans to build three new shops there.
Two months after supermarket giant Aldi announced it would take over the vandal-hit derelict Ravens Court, a proposal has been submitted to Walsall Council to build three units and three one-bed flats just yards down the road.
Applicant Arfat Ahmed said a two-and-a-half-storey building would be created on the vacant 519 square metres of land sitting between a florist and a Subway.
Two of the shop fronts would be directly on the High Street with a further commercial unit and the flats situated behind.
The application to Walsall Council said: “The vacant plot of land fronts onto High Street and bounded by car park on short street on the rear, two storey terraced houses on right side and public footpath with hard surface on left side.
“A public footpath connects high street to public car park on Short Street.
“New development will be set behind public footpath with level access to units one and two. Unit three will be accessed via public right of way via levelled entrance door.
“Access to First and second floor flats will be provided with stairs connecting first and second floor. The communal entrance door to flats will be set from public right of way footpath.”
Ravens Court had been left rotting for almost a decade and became a magnet for vermin and anti-social behaviour, making life a misery for traders and residents in the area.
There were promises of redevelopment in the past, with Tesco set to take over in 2014 and plans for a gym and retail units in 2019 but both proved to be false dawns.
But the news of the planned demolition of Ravens Court and Aldi’s investment – which will see them move from their existing smaller store into the new larger unit – has given hope to the area.
Traders welcomed the plans, hoping the new Aldi will increase footfall and put an end to the anti-social behaviour that has blighted them.
Aldi’s announcement came shortly after the creation of a Civic Space on the High Street which will enable community events to be held there.
