Westfield’s plans for major expansion at its Merry Hill shopping centre near Birmingham have taken a crucial step forward.
The developer has won consent for its £10m ‘vehicle management system,’ which will see the introduction of car park charges at the popular shopping centre in Brierley Hill this year.
The move, which has incensed the scheme’s retailers, is understood to be a vital component if Westfield is to successfully argue that the centre should be awarded town centre status.
The latter would allow Westfield to expand its 1.61m sq ft shopping centre, development of which is currently prohibited by PPG6 guidelines.
The government’s Black Country Study, a 30-year vision for the area, has identified Brierley Hill as a key location to attract commercial and retail investment into the area.
Steven Hassel, development executive at Westfield, said: “As part of Westfield’s ongoing commitment to meeting the vision of the Black Country Study, we are pleased that working in collaboration with Dudley council we can now introduce a Vehicle Management System.”
However, existing major retailers including: Boots, JJB, Sainsbury’s, Adams, Wallis and TK Maxx have called for the charges to be scrapped.
The centre has boasted free parking since it opened in 1985. Local press reports say that Ann Harvey, Envy, Bay Trading and Dolcis, have all written to Dudley Council saying the changes “will have a substantial economic impact upon our operation”.
Westfield sold 50% of its stake in Merry Hill last December to Queensland Investment Corporation for £524m, representing a circa £80m profit since buying the centre two years ago.
