A £150,000 seating area intended to revitalise Dudley Market has been ripped out and moved to another Dudley attraction just 16 months after it was installed.
The structure, introduced in 2025, was meant to create a community hub in the town centre and support traders, but instead became a hotspot for anti-social behaviour, with reports of drinking, drug use, and other disturbances.
The seats even became a hotspot for pigeons, becoming dirty and unused.
Complaints from traders prompted Dudley Council to dismantle the seating area on Friday.
Anne Boyd, director of growth and place at Dudley Council said: "Dudley Council is working closely with Dudley town centre traders and community groups as our programme of regeneration continues to bring investment to the town.
"Market traders in Dudley town centre recently raised concerns that marketplace seating, which was installed last year with funding from the Government's Shared Prosperity Fund, was sometimes creating issues around antisocial behaviour.
"We have now removed the seating from the marketplace with it now benefitting visitors to Himley Hall and Park."
The spokesman confirmed that the seating will be repurposed and not scrapped.
It will initially be placed in the Walled Garden at Himley Hall to support seasonal events, including the pumpkin attraction and winter light trails.
Longer-term plans will see the structure moved to the terrace area, providing additional space for visitors to the coffee lounge.
"Initially it will be used within the walled garden area to support the upcoming pumpkin event and winter light trails. In the spring the intention will be to relocate seating to the terrace area creating additional outdoor seating for visitors to the coffee lounge.”
The removal has sparked debate over the effectiveness and value of the original project, which operated for just over a year before being taken down.
Traders said the seating area failed to deliver on its intended purpose, with no regular food traders using the space.
Instead, the structure became associated with repeated anti-social behaviour, forcing traders to clear away empty bottles.
Dudley Council hopes the relocated seating will be better used and contribute to visitor experiences at Himley Hall.
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