Star comment: Wolverhampton is on its knees - it must not be allowed to stagnate further
The planned review into the desperate state of Wolverhampton city centre must be welcomed with open arms.
The city is on its knees, and anything that can bring fresh ideas to the table cannot do any harm.
Over two decades it has gone through a steep decline, and is now largely characterised by low footfall and a distinct lack of decent stores.
Shoppers – and there are still plenty of them about despite the seemingly unstoppable rise of online buying – are going elsewhere, and getting them to return to the city will be no easy task.
Wolverhampton Council cannot be accused of standing idly by, and is pushing forward with a number of schemes bosses believe will revitalise the city centre.
The plans centre around widespread pedestrianisation as part of a move they say will see the city shift away from retail and become more of an events destination.
Sadly there have already been a number of casualties, including several businesses that have closed down and others who are struggling to survive.
The council has been accused of a lack of support.
One thing is certain.
For the sake of the city's future, all of our stakeholders must work together on this crucial issue.
READ MORE
The council has, for some years, been criticised for not taking on the best available advice, with bosses seemingly reliant on the guidance of highly priced consultants.
We have already seen the Summer Row and Westside schemes fail through lack of investment.
The city simply cannot face another false dawn.
Whatever this review comes up with must be properly scrutinised and treated with the respect it deserves.
The decisions made now will go a long way to deciding whether Wolverhampton can rise from its current predicament.
The consequences of the city stagnating further do not bear thinking about.
