TALKS over the future of Kidderminster's eyesore Swan Centre car park should end next month, paving the way for a multi-million pound programme of repairs.

Wyre Forest District Council chiefs and the new owners of the shops complex, CIT, have been negotiating for weeks over the cost of the work required to bring the dilapidated multi-storey up to scratch.

Contractors from the council and CIT have now independently assessed the state of the building and drawn up their own costings.

"We hope to be able to agree a figure for repairing the building very soon," said Andrew Dickens, the district council's head of cultural, leisure and commercial services.

"We hope to bring the issue before councillors this month or next."

Some £2.1 million has been set aside in this year's council budget to cover the cost of the repairs, he added.

Once the costs have been agreed, the council's executive will be asked to agree to either surrender the lease - conditional on it being maintained as a public car park and subject to a commitment on season tickets - or retain the lease and so keep responsibility for any further repairs.

The council has owned the lease for several years, during which time the car park has slowly deteriorated. There have been regular complaints about the state of the roofs and the poor condition of stairwells and lifts.

Councillors voted two years ago to hand back the lease as part of wide-ranging proposals to review car parking.