AMBITIOUS plans to regenerate rundown Colley Gate to create a community hub with supermarket, cafe, shops, flats and a library were unveiled last night.

A packed meeting of the Cradley Action Group broadly welcomed the embryonic proposals drawn up by newly-appointed joint developers Hortons’ Estate and Antringham Developments Ltd.

Action group chairman Chris Legiewicz said: “It was absolutely fantastic. I was overwhelmed by the number of people who came – the room was packed, there must have been 70 to 80 people present. It was a very positive meeting.”

“It was the council’s idea to move the library there and it could work really well, creating a community hub and attracting a lot of people.”

Tim Blairs, director of Antringham Developments, who attended the meeting at The Laurels Club, said afterwards he was “very excited” by the prospect of the development which had attracted a “lot of local support”.

But he stressed the plans were in the very early stages and would undoubtedly change following discussions with property owners and potential occupants.

The plans currently include 14 flats above the retail units, which include a small supermarket, three other shop units – which could include a cafe - and library, with a 36-space car park accessed from Mapletree Lane.

The shops and library would front onto Colley Gate with the supermarket at the Colley Lane corner.

Mr Blairs said no talks have yet been held with any supermarkets, but the size of store would equate to a Tesco Express.

He said no timetable could be placed on the next stage of work which will be negotiations with the various property owners of the shops, most of which are derelict, the owner of the Nisa store and the car bodyshop repairer to acquire the site for the redevelopment.

“Having been selected as the preferred developers by the council we will hold dialogues with individual landowners and potential occupiers to come up with a scheme that is acceptable to everyone,” said Mr Blairs, adding: “I am very excited about the library and have already had a meeting with the lady from library services. I see that as fitting in well with creating a community feel around the development.”

Mr Blairs said it was too early to publish the plans because of the possibility of changes, but Cradley councillors are distributing them around the town and are putting them on display in the library.

They can also be viewed on the Cradley Action Group’s Facebook page.

If the library is included in the final plans, the old library in Colley Lane will close and the site could be used for housing.