Anger as Christmas tree hides shop at Oldswinford Cross

Brett Allsop, who runs Secure It doors and windows at Oldswinford Cross, couldn't believe his eyes when he saw workmen from Dudley Council digging a hole for the giant festive fir which has been placed within a whisker of the shop's front door - completely obscuring the family firm's frontage and business name.

Mr Allsop, who runs the business with his son, said: "When they came to do it originally they marked out a spot further down that wouldn’t have had any impact on anybody but when they returned they put it right in front of our shop door. You can’t see the shop front now."

He says the siting of the towering tree is "going to steal four weeks of our advertising" as the shop's prime position on the busy Hagley Road will be obscured until the festive season is over.

Mr Allsop, who opened the shop next to Avanti Kitchens in August 2016, said he was livid about "the fact that they just came along and plonked it there without asking anybody".

He said: "When they started digging the hole I said 'you've got to stop this' and they sent this guy from the council who said 'tough'."

Oldswinford's Christmas tree used to be sited on the opposite corner of the cross by Tesco but Mr Allsop believes the power source has been removed following a revamp of the supermarket/petrol station site.

Councillor Khurshid Ahmed, Dudley Council's cabinet member for environmental services, said: “A tree has been located nearby at Oldswinford for a number of years and has become part of the Christmas landscape and welcomed by the community.

"It is a very difficult balance to meet the needs of local business with the wishes of the community to mark this special time of year with a Christmas tree. 

"We worked with ward councillors and businesses were also consulted with to find the most appropriate place for the tree which was further limited by underground services. 

"The tree was moved from last year’s location over the road because of the ongoing development there.”