Wolverhampton lines up CPO for decaying former Beatties
City of Wolverhampton council is lining up the threat of a “last resort” compulsory purchase order in a bid to kick-start a stalled development at a landmark former city centre department store.
The former Beatties store on Victoria Street closed for good in 2020, earning a brief reprieve after owners House of Fraser collapsed into administration in 2018.
Since then, the 376,000 sq ft store, described by Wolverhampton council as an “iconic building at the heart of the city centre”, has sat vacant in one of the city’s most prominent retail positions – despite planning approval in 2021 for a mixed-use regeneration scheme containing 300 apartments.
The building was purchased by Eden Property Group for a reported £6.15m in early 2024, with updated plans approved by the city council in August – but a lack of any development at the crumbling site since then saw the patience of the city council snap last month, when it said it would be taking enforcement action in order to get the building tidied up.
Now, the authority says compulsory purchase order (CPO) powers are being considered to bring the building back into use – with the council potentially lining up a replacement developer in order to move the project forward.
Architects 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
Councillor Chris Burden, cabinet member for city development, jobs and skills, said: “Senior council officers met with the current owners of the Beatties building recently and, on behalf of all Wulfrunians, expressed in no uncertain terms that the current state of the building is totally unacceptable.
“Eden Beatties have failed to comply with the council’s legally-binding clean up notice, missing deadline after deadline. Further legal action is likely to follow.
“We also stressed the urgency of seeing realistic and rapid plans to bring the building back to life with evidence that a credible and comprehensive funding package is capable of being developed.
“We stand ready to support credible plans but are also exploring all available options to bring the building back to life – and all the jobs, opportunities and investment that will bring with it.”
The council is also commissioning a delivery strategy for the site, in partnership with the West Midlands Combined Authority, to identify what needs to be done and the steps to be followed to acquire a development partner, should that be necessary.
The development partner would the potentially progress and implement a regeneration scheme to restore Beatties, following a CPO for the site.
“A CPO is a last resort,” said a report, due to be discussed by the council’s cabinet next week.
“A development partner should first try to acquire the property by negotiation, and a funded, deliverable scheme should be in place. If the current or a future owner refuses to sell at a reasonable price, a CPO may be required to deliver a regeneration scheme.”
The city council will vote on a decision in principle to compulsorily purchase the site at a cabinet meeting on Wednesday, 18 March.
