We'll stay put "until the bulldozers come in", says Worcester Bedroom Centre as it eyes expansion

John Davis, who runs The Bedroom Centre, says he will be there "until the bulldozers arrive" after the city council agreed last week that the demolition could go ahead.

Mr Davis has also revealed how he is planning to expand, with a second city outlet due to open on the corner of Sherriff Street and Tolladine Road next week.

Footfall has gone so well at City Walls Road, a second shop will open on Wednesday, April 1 inside an empty 6,000 sq ft unit that used to house a gym called Peak Fitness.

As your Worcester News revealed last Friday, developers are going to extend St Martin's Quarter by knocking down the current Bedroom Centre site for a new red-brick and glass building housing extra shops and restaurants.

It emerged yesterday that the work will not start for some considerable time as the owners Carillion Richardson has promised the Bedroom Centre at least six months notice first.

Mr Davis said: "I sat down with Carillion Richardson and they said 'we will be developing' but it won't happen for a long time and for us, business is very good.

"We like it here and don't want to move, the footfall is great.

"It's been very good from the start.

"Our lease is an open-ended one but they've promised me a minimum of six months notice.

"We've just signed a 15-year lease on a new shop in Sherriff Street because things are going very good.

"We're open for business and will be here until the bulldozers come in."

The Bedroom Centre site was constructed in 1999 and used to be a Jaguar car showroom.

The 1,300 square metre new-build will host around four large businesses, two of which will be restaurants.

St Martin’s Quarter opened in 2012 to much fanfare, but has had only seven of its 15 available units filled so far, with the Asda supermarket complimented by Fit4Free, a 99p Store, Ladbrokes, Avant Garde, Costa and B&M on the site.