Council’s legal threat over ‘dilapidated’ Beatties
City of Wolverhampton Council says it preparing legal proceedings against the owners of a former city centre department store which has sat empty for more than five years.
Beatties in Victoria Street closed its doors to the public in 2020 following the collapse of the House of Fraser group, and has since fallen into disrepair.
The the 376,000 sq ft store was purchased by Middlesex-based Eden Beatties for around £6m in 2014, and plans for a 300-apartment redevelopment of the building were approved by the city council two years ago – but work is yet to begin.
Now, the authority says it wants to “take the owners to task” for failing to comply with a section 215 notice telling them to clean up the site, accusing them of letting the building become a “blight on the city centre”.
Councillor Stephen Simkins, City of Wolverhampton Council leader, said: “We have given the owners of Beatties ample opportunity to comply with the legally-binding clean up notice.
Corstorphine & Wright worked up detailed proposals for the site in 2024, which were approved by the city council. But no work has since taken place on the scheme. Credit: Corstorphine & Wright
“They have missed deadline after deadline and enough is enough – the current state of the building is totally unacceptable.
“I also want to recognise the frustration felt by residents and us all regarding the lack of visible progress in developing the Beatties site.
“It is an iconic landmark in our city and we have stressed to the owners the urgency of seeing realistic and rapid plans to bring it back to life with evidence that a credible and comprehensive funding package is capable of being developed.”
Earlier this year the city council’s cabinet approved the use of compulsory purchase powers to kickstart a potential regeneration scheme, measures it said it considered a “last resort”.
The council says regeneration of Beatties would have “significant benefits” for the economic, social and environmental well-being of Wolverhampton.
“We stand ready to support credible plans but are also exploring all available options, including using CPO powers as a last resort, to bring the building back to life – and all the jobs, opportunities and investment that will bring with it,” added Cllr Simkins.
Eden Beatties did not respond to a request for comment.
