A bowling alley or retail and leisure development? 'Exciting' plans for West Bromwich's derelict Farley Centre
A derelict former shopping complex is set to be turned into an ‘exciting retail and leisure development’ in West Bromwich, under ambitious plans.
There has also been speculation that The Farley Centre site, which has been put up to let, could even be turned into a bowling alley.
The area has fallen into a state of disrepair over the past year leaving shoppers disgruntled.
Now a giant board advertising the premises to let with joint retail and development specialists Johnson and Co and AP Retail has been out up at the site’s entrance of the site.
It comes less than a year after it was sold for more than £1 million.
John Hodgkiss, Business Improvement District (BID) co-ordinator for West Bromwich, said: “We are always welcoming regeneration throughout the town centre, so if something good comes of this site it will be a huge positive. This would be a huge help in us moving forward with wider plans for the town.”
West Bromwich councillor Bawa Singh Dhallu said he hoped there was good news ahead and someone would take over the site.
“At the moment there is so much going on in the town centre,” he said.
“It is thriving now with the latest development of apartments and the hotel coming by New Square. Hopefully that part will now be redeveloped as it has stood in a mess.”
The site had been blighted by rubbish and dumped trolleys since the closure of Morrisons in March 2015.
The building was originally one single unit that was turned into three. A Safeway and Netto supermarket had previously occupied one of the units.
The site currently has a 126-year tenure and a six-month leasehold from January 1987.
The car park has 350 spaces and offers the same hourly rate of 40p per hour in line with authority fees and is free on a Sunday. It became a pay and display under Sandwell Council for a short period before being taken over by Euro Parking.
Earlier this year an adjoining parking area became a charity car park, after being taken over by Sheffield-based Bank Park Management. It gives 2.5 per cent of ticket revenue to The British Heart Foundation.
