A BELOVED nineties shopping centre has been set to return as plans for the abandoned mall have been revealed.
Shutting in 2020 due to the global pandemic, the site in Greater Manchester is yet to reopen to the public.
The Wheatsheaf Shopping Centre has been set to get a new look[/caption]
CGI of how the new events venue in the Wheatsheaf Centre, in Rochdale, could look[/caption]
Located in the heart of Rochdale, the stripped back venue could be seen with a completely new look for nearby residents to enjoy.
Those in the surrounding areas could benefit from a new banqueting hall and events venue.
With the Wheatsheaf Centre being split across various floors, each level could be transformed into something different.
The fifth and sixth floors, where the library used to be, will become separate events halls.
Enabling a variety of events to be hosted, the proposal could offer a space for pre-wedding functions, wedding events, business conferences and public gatherings.
The lower floor is thought to provide a capacity of up to 280 people while the sixth could accommodate up to 180.
Rochdale Council has submitted plans which also look to include an extension to the floor car park.
This means direct access via stairs straight from parked vehicles.
It follows the centre closing its doors as the rest of the country battled through the pandemic.
The 2020 lockdown hit the site meaning it was expected to remain shut for some time.
Iconic shopping centre loved in the 90s set to be demolished – as devastated customers say they ‘can’t believe it’
AN ICONIC South London shopping centre, loved in the 90s, is set to be demolished.
Devastated customers say they can’t believe St Nicholas Shopping Centre in Sutton will be knocked down.
As with many high streets across the UK, Sutton’s has been hit hard in recent years, with the centre losing most of its major retailers.
Apart from a Primark, a Claire’s and a Perfume Shop it’s mostly empty.
Sutton Council announced plans to regenerate the town centre in October 2022, including removing the building.
This included building 740 new homes, half of which will be affordable for local families, and around 300 homes for social rent.
A new civic hub, library and retail centre are also included in the plans.
It cost £100million and was expected to be one of the South East’s “premiere shopping centres”.
In one online review, one shopper said: “I still remember when this shopping centre opened in the early 90s and going as a young boy with my family to see the cool fountains (people used to treat these as wishing wells and throw coins in…), skylights and loads of amazing cool shops.
“Now its many units, especially in once famous food court on the top floor, is desolate.
“Big names have disappeared, some escalators and lifts are non functional and fountains are all gone! My, how shabby this place has turned.”
Another person, who visited in the summer, said it was an “eerie liminal space where you can experience the Backrooms in real life”.
They added: “I hope to never go back.”
It has remained vacant ever since.
Before its demise, the site was home to a bustling complex over five floors.
Household names were spread throughout including New Look, Wilko and Ryman.
Planning papers, submitted by DHA Corporates Ltd, read: “Many functions and events, including weddings, concerts, and dinners, are currently held outside the town in other cities. This proposal seeks to retain a larger share of such commercial activities within Rochdale, responding to the high local demand.
“Consequently, it will boost local employment not only directly within the facility but also throughout the event-related supply chains.
“The development is designed to accommodate a variety of uses and cultures, with the client exploring potential partnerships with local businesses, corporations, and the council for hosting their events. The site would be transformed from one prone to anti-social behavior into a well-designed, high-quality venue that offers full-time employment and attracts a high-end clientele.”
Beyond the benefits to punters, it is thought the site just off Baillie Street could employ up to 46 full-time and part-time members of staff.
Other complexes are yet to be so fortunate to undergo such a transformation.
Locals to Lewisham Shopping Centre have been left furious after discovering their much-loved site was set to be demolished.
Some even ridiculed plans for redevelopment a “waste of money” as a £1.3 billion project could see the expansion of 1,700 new home with a modern shopping site and live music venue.
If approved by Lewisham Council, the plans would take 10 years to complete causing disruption to those who make use of the current site.
Why are retailers closing shops?
EMPTY shops have become an eyesore on many British high streets and are often symbolic of a town centre’s decline.
The Sun’s business editor Ashley Armstrong explains why so many retailers are shutting their doors.
In many cases, retailers are shutting stores because they are no longer the money-makers they once were because of the rise of online shopping.
Falling store sales and rising staff costs have made it even more expensive for shops to stay open.
The British Retail Consortium has predicted that the Treasury’s hike to employer NICs from April 2025, will cost the retail sector £2.3billion.
At the same time, the minimum wage will rise to £12.21 an hour from April, and the minimum wage for people aged 18-20 will rise to £10 an hour, an increase of £1.40.
In some cases, retailers are shutting a store and reopening a new shop at the other end of a high street to reflect how a town has changed.
The problem is that when a big shop closes, footfall falls across the local high street, which puts more shops at risk of closing.
Retail parks are increasingly popular with shoppers, who want to be able to get easy, free parking at a time when local councils have hiked parking charges in towns.
Many retailers including Next and Marks & Spencer have been shutting stores on the high street and taking bigger stores in better-performing retail parks instead.
In some cases, stores have been shut when a retailer goes bust, as in the case of Carpetright, Debenhams, Dorothy Perkins, Paperchase, Ted Baker, The Body Shop, Topshop and Wilko to name a few.
What’s increasingly common is when a chain goes bust a rival retailer or private equity firm snaps up the intellectual property rights so they can own the brand and sell it online.
They may go on to open a handful of stores if there is customer demand, but there are rarely ever as many stores or in the same places.
The Centre for Retail Research (CRR) has warned that around 17,350 retail sites are expected to shut down this year.
The centre has been closed since the 2020 lockdown[/caption]
