PLANS to centralise Stourbridge’s council offices in a multi-million pound state-of-the-art civic quadrant in Dudley have been put on ice.

The £80m scheme would have seen staff from the borough’s highways and regeneration departments, based at Mary Stevens Park, moved to a new modernised and environmentally-friendly council base in the centre of Dudley on a site bordering Priory Road, Priory Street, St James’s Road and Ednam Road.

But Dudley Council leader - Councillor David Caunt - this week told the News the innovative plans were no longer “value for money” in the current economic climate.

He said: “It’s a disappointment. We had hoped this would be the start point for the central Dudley regeneration, but sometimes you have to put disappointment behind you and say it isn’t on, it’s not economic and it doesn’t give value for money.”

The scheme - which would have included environmentally features such as solar panels and rainwater recycling system plus up to 100 two-bedroom apartments, an underground carpark with 750 spaces, room for shops - was first talked about two and a half years ago and was given an £80m price tag.

But with rising costs and a worsening economic climate, cllr Caunt estimated it would now cost a further £20m to bring to fruition.

He said: “We could well be talking about £100m, if we were looking at what was being suggested two and a half years ago.”

He admitted the council has yet to come up with a ‘plan b’.

But he added: “We have got to do something because a number of buildings we occupy are not in a fit state for modern office use.”