Starbucks joins new restaurants and cinema in revamp at Merry Hill

A Starbucks will open on the upper part of the site, transforming part of an underused car park, while a restaurant will be another new addition.

It follows Merry Hill owners intu announcing that they would £100 million programme of improvements at the Black Country shopping centre over the next few years, including a new cinema and a string of restaurants.

Developers say that the two A3-units will 'complement' the existing retail offer at Merry Hill Retail Park.

They will be situated to the top of the embankment to The Boulevard and the rear of the existing car parking spaces.

Pedestrian access will be via the existing car park.

An outdoor seating area will also be created along with 12 car parking spaces for Starbucks and 11 spaces for the restaurant.

Planning documents state: "The main challenge associated with these proposals was to site each building successfully with respect to the retail park as a whole, bearing in mind their proximity to the adjacent grassed banks and minimising the loss of car parking and impact on existing planting.

"Overall these proposals represent a high quality development, which is appropriate for the retail park location."

Plans were approved on August 11.