MEMBERS of Bromsgrove District Council’s cabinet voted in favour of disposing of the Stourbridge Road car park, by the former DDS&S Club, so it can now be sold to Cordwell Property Group for development.
The Standard reported last week how the company had proposed three retail units for the 0.72acre site, along with 35 car parking spaces.
Earlier on Wednesday (December 3), the item had gone before the authority’s overview and scrutiny committee, where members had suggested a ‘financial lock-in’ in place so if the chosen bidder pulled out, the council could recoup the remarketing costs. But that was rejected by cabinet.
Another ONS recommendation requested a condition for an ‘explicit timescale’ be agreed with the developers to prevent delays similar to those which had happened with other sites in the town centre.
The cabinet was also asked to consider the loss of income from the site as the car park generated £12,000 for the council between 2013 and 2014.
The disposal was agreed and it is now in the hands of the executive director fo finance and resources to agree the final terms with Cordwell.
Cabinet members also agreed to remarket the Hanover Street Car Park and George House site, at a cost of £10,000.
That comes after the previous developer OPUS pulled out of the deal for the site.
The council had already agreed for that site to include food retailer, a cinema and restaurants, but the potential new developer’s proposals could differ from the plans put forward by Opus.
Coun Rita Dent, the portfolio holder for the town centre, said the two decisions by the cabinet were excellent news for Bromsgrove.
“The withdrawal of Opus was of course a setback, but the announcement of the sale of the Stourbridge Road site shows that the work on the town centre is now racing forward again.
“The cabinet is confident that we will get a buyer for the Market Hall site.”
