Old shops to be demolished as part of £1 billion Wolverhampton city centre plans
Decaying shops in Wolverhampton's city centre are to be demolished from Monday - paving the way for multi-million pound redevelopment.
The desolate units in Bell Street, which have not seen trade for a decade, are directly opposite the new four-floor Debenhams which is set to open within weeks.
Asbestos had been found in the old shops but Wolverhampton council has now given the green-light for demolition to begin. Bulldozers could move onto the site as soon as Monday and the land could be flat by the end of the year.
The site, which is owned by the council, will be transformed into a temporary car park while a permanent use as part of the city centre's £1 billion regeneration is agreed.
Leader of Wolverhampton council, Councillor Roger Lawrence, said: "That row of shops is in a very poor condition and really needs to come down.
"It will be used in the short-term as additional parking which makes sense becomes that generates income which helps pay for the cost of demolition and regeneration.
"The site falls within our Southside proposals and it is eventually going to be used around that.
"There will be further opportunities for development there whether that is leisure, retail or residential."
The vacant units - between the Forbidden Planet shop and the entrance to the Mander Centre car park - used to house a furniture shop, an amusement arcade and clothes shop. They were bought by the council in April last year.
Plans for that area of the city centre include moving the market from its current home in Market Square to Cleveland Street.
An artist’s impression has also been released of a fully pedestrianised area between Bell Street, Victoria Street and Skinner Street.
The 93,000 sq ft Debenhams is due to open in October as the revamped Mander Centre's anchor store.
Meanwhile the existing market will be replaced with a £55m Westside development scheme to include a 12-screen cinema, restaurants, 100-bed hotel and car park.
Ninder Johal, who is a board member at the Black Country Local Enterprise Partnership, welcomed the demolition and regeneration.
He said: "Despite people saying the internet is changing the retail landscape we have to accept there is still a large number of people who like to go to shops to purchase goods and as a leisure activity."
