NEARLY 500 people have signed a petition calling for the former Crown House site in Kidderminster to be turned into a green space - instead of another council-run car park.

The residents are backing calls for a "nature square" in place of the demolished office building in the Bull Ring, featuring trees, foliage, bird baths, solar lighting, benches, art, a water feature and picnic area.

Wyre Forest District Council is currently developing the space into a temporary car park while it waits on the result of a funding bid towards long-term plans for the land.

Stourport resident Nikki Moore, 28, who launched the Change.org petition, said: "I've been noticing a lot of discussion about the Crown House site on Facebook and a lot of people are unhappy about another car park being built in the town.

"Kidderminster is turning into a concrete jungle. It's already looking like a sad town as it is, we need a bit of happiness and colour.

"I walk past on my way to work and Kidderminster has hardly any shops anymore so people are running out of reasons to visit the town.

"There are enough car parks as it is and they are all over-charged and under-used. Another one would be a complete waste of money.

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"The council is building a temporary car park while it decides what to do with the land, but why not save that money and go straight to the point and give the people of Kidderminster something they actually want?"

Nikki's petition has so far attracted nearly 450 signatures and gained the support of a local Kidderminster Gardens group.

"This would definitely give people a reason to visit Kidderminster again," said Nikki, who works at B&Q in Kidderminster. "It could be gated and locked at night to keep it secure and would create a new meeting area for friends and family in the town centre.

"We could even have a memorial in the square for people that have died from coronavirus."

Work to demolish the eyesore Crown House was completed in March. The old office building was built in the early 1970s but had been empty for a number of years since the Post Office and emergency dental practice vacated in 2016.

The eight-storey building was once rated among the top 10 ugliest buildings in Britain.

Kidderminster Shuttle: The old Crown House was once rated among the 10 ugliest buildings in BritainThe old Crown House was once rated among the 10 ugliest buildings in Britain

Councillor Fran Oborski, Wyre Forest District Council’s deputy leader and cabinet member for economic regeneration, planning and capital investment, said: “We’re delighted Crown House has been demolished. It took a number of years for the council and its formal tenant, Telereal Trillium, to reach a successful agreement to demolish the site at no cost to the taxpayer.

“We always believed that the removal of Crown House from the town centre landscape would be a major step forward.

"The long-term future of the Crown House site is one of the proposals we have put forward for funding from the Government’s Future High Streets Fund.

"A degree of patience will be required though and it will take some time before we are able to deliver a financially viable final vision but in the meantime we want to make use of the space to help people park close to the town and easily access the shops and services that are available.”

View the petition here.