Empty new shop development

Another mystery: Brownhills is blessed with empty shops. For our next trick we're going to demolish some old, occupied shops and replace them with new, unnoccupied ones. Et voila, another testament to developmental disaster. Who on earth thought this was a good idea?

I feel your comments are unfair. There is and has been a lot of regeneration within Brownhills what with most recently a large Luxury David Wilson Housing Development to the rear of the High Street. These shops are an important part of that regeneration providing quality units to a vibrant High Street and are now nearly all fully let with only 3 units remaining as of today some of which are under offer. The people of Brownhills deserve and want decent shops and what with a lot of the large High Street names moving back into the area are also providing employment this has to be good. Keep up the good work and try to look at the more positive aspects of Brownhills.

I have lived in this town for the best part of my adult life, and have watched it decline through abandonment and mismanagement from Walsall. In the 70's Brownhills was vibrant and busy - throughout the following years it has become a neglected, derelict and forgotten.

The idea that an estate of private houses built on land sold by Walsall Council constitutes regeneration is frankly laughable - even more so when one considers that the proceeds went to fund projects in central Walsall and all we got was a metal miner.

Last time I looked (yesterday), 50% of those new units (6 total, 3 let at a knock-down to Wilkinson who are now looking a bit worried) stood empty along with the other 50% of Brownhills retail space.

Perhaps you could supply a list of the retail behemoths to reinhabit our High Street, because there must be a few hiding away... perhaps there's a branch of M&S lurking under the detritus at the back of Ravens Court. It's been there so long there are probably whole new species evolving there...

I love this town, it's my home. However, I will not stand by and watch it die without comment. We should not be humbled just because our masters gave us a statue and a peculiarly hideous health centre; I don't see any improvement in the real lives of the people and the environment here, except for the regular ego-tripping of local politicos who're so vain they would attend the opening of a packet of crisps if it meant they'd get into the Walsall Observer.

I'm positive about many things but beware those rose-tinted glasses... this town is sick and if something isn't done soon, it'll die.

Just keep paying your council tax; they've said we'll get a street sweeper sometime in July...

lol these are the ones i comment about earlier, Looking much better today! Dentist was a godsend!

Hmmm... another Dentist, another charity shop, another optician... the retail renaissance continues unabounded.