THREE Wordsley councillors have come together to condemn a proposal to build a new Co-Op convenience store on the Ashwood Inn car park in Sandringham Place.

All three believe resources would be better served improving a number of derelict shop units which are situated right opposite the Marstons owned pub.

Three units have been left empty for almost 14 years to the point where they have become an eyesore and health hazard to boot.

UKIP Councillor Paul Brothwood said: "The units have been vacant for a long time. They're 1960's built and poorly done at that. They look dreadful to the local residents with their broken windows and rubbish fly-tipped on them. I feel sorry for the few businesses still left there.

"The proposed Co-Op store would be better placed taking up some of the derelict shop units. It's a classic example of big business not listening to local people."

Conservative counterpart Glenis Simms said: "It's the same old story, big companies looking for the chance to make some money and nothing else matters.

"I find it quite saddening that we're seeing so many pubs around the borough, which have once been places of history, being turned into faceless shops.

"There's no real need for a convenience store there and it's certainly not something the residents have been asking for.

"The council has written to the landlord of the shop units telling him in the strongest possible terms that if he didn't tidy them up the council would do it for him and then present him with the bill. We've really pushed for this.

"It would only take someone to put a match to it and the whole lot would go up."

Labour's Derrick Hemingsley confirmed he'd been in touch with the landlord of the units and said: "They are in the process of tidying them up. The man who previously owned the units died and two brothers have since taken over - but in between they fell into a long legal loop.

"Three of the six units are still in use but two of them are like-for-like with a convenience store, so if a Co-Op was built opposite it wouldn't be doing them any favours. It would be better to turn the three vacant units into one store.

"I will be joining my council colleagues in opposing this scheme."

Cllr Brothwood added: "There are already two Spa stores and a Sainsburys within a half mile radius of the pub, so I'm not even sure whether there's another need for a convenience store. Placing a Co-Op convenience store on the pub car park would be a mistake. I think some of the residents would rather see housing there instead."

No-one from the Co-Op wanted to comment on the plans but a spokesman for retail property group NewRiver Retail, which now owns the pub, said: "We have had a positive meeting with the licensee of The Ashwood Inn about our intended plans for a new convenience store on surplus car parking.

"The pub will continue to operate into the future and we see this new investment as delivering a much better use for the site as a whole. We are still in the process of finalising a planning application and will be informing the local community when this is submitted."