COUNCILLORS and a community group in Brierley Hill are among objectors to a plan to turn the former Marsh & Baxter butcher's shop in Brierley Hill into a Dixy Chicken fast food outlet.

A plan has been lodged with Dudley Council planners to create a new shopfront at 94 High Street and to install a canopy extractor to the rear.

A number of objections have been submitted, however, as the building was formerly home to Marsh & Baxter's butcher's shop and it sits within a conservation area.

In a letter submitted to Dudley Council’s planning department, Brierley Hill Community Forum has said: “The existing shop front is of historic interest, and should be preserved in its current form.

“We note the heritage statement submitted by the applicant which essentially says as all of the other shop fronts in the town have been ruined it ok to ruin this one as well.

“We do not feel that this is a compelling argument. Ripping out the existing shopfront undermines all of the work which the council has recently done to conserve the heritage assets within the town and should absolutely not be allowed.

“We also object to the proposal to open a hot food takeaway at this location. We believe that such a usage requires a full planning application which has not been submitted.”

Brierley Hill councillors Adam Davies and Wayne Little have also submitted letters objecting to the plan.

Cllr Davies said: "We feel this application would be completely the wrong type of business for this historically important building and that the changes which the applicant wants to make would also damage the high street and wider conservation area.

"There are already too many fried food outlets on the High Street; we definitely don't need or want any more."

He said as butchers’ shops and fast food outlets fall under the same category for use in planning terms – an application requesting a change of use is not required. But he stressed “we believe there are strong reasons that the council's planning department should still refuse this application”.

Fellow Brierley Hill councillor Wayne Little said the proposed changes would harm the building’s appearance and impact the character of the conservation area and he added that the plans show “no recognition of the shopfront’s value” and heritage.

Concerns have also been raised about potential traffic and congestion problems that could occur as a result of delivery drivers stopping outside the shop.

Dudley Council’s historic environment department has objected to the proposal and recommended refusal as the building is recorded on the council’s Historic Environment Record as “a locally significant heritage asset considered to be a landmark building in the Brierley Hill Conservation Area”.

In a report to planners, it is stated that the façade of the building dates back to 1903 but it’s believed the main core of the building is older. The first and second floor of the building have been used for residential purposes since the 1970s.

Famous sausage company Marsh & Baxters used the downstairs as a butcher’s shop until 1978 when the shop was taken over by Walter Smiths butchers who occupied the shop until 2017.

The shop remained empty until 2021 and was briefly used as a fishmongers until it was taken over in 2022 by Lee Eccles Butchers but it has since closed.

The report adds: “It is the view of Historic Environment that the loss of the existing shopfront and the proposed replacement will not preserve or enhance the character and/or appearance of the Brierley Hill High Street conservation area.

“Rather, the proposals will have a detrimental impact on the character and appearance, they will negatively impact on the views into and out of the conservation area and cause demonstrable harm to the appearance of the host building.”