B&M to Take On Springkerse Homebase

B&M Retail is set to take over a Homebase store in Stirling.

The discount chain is to move into the Homebase store at Springkerse Retail Park which is due to close its doors at the end of the year.

The new store will be the second B&M site for the town as there is currently a branch on nearby Kerse Road.

Property partnership planning and development specialists Montagu Evans are acting on behalf of the owners of one phase of the retail park, and have requested the alteration of planning permission to allow the sale of food and non-food goods on the site.  In a supporting statement submitted alongside the application, Montagu Evans said:

"By way of background Homebase have entered into a Company Voluntary Agreement (CVA) which has impacted the Stirling store and will lead to imminent closure of the store and the loss of a high number of jobs.

"Given the nature of retailing and the retail market there is a distinct lack of demand in the market and in particular for a unit of the size occupied by Homebase.

"B&M have a desire to increase their presence in Stirling and the application is proposed to accommodate the retailer within the unit."

‘In order to accommodate B&M within the existing unit, a variation of the current permission is required to allow for the following range of food and ancillary range non-food goods to be sold from the unit – food goods, pet food, paper goods, watches, costume jewellery, gifts, toys, textiles, health and beauty products, tobacco and lottery, seasonal.’

The Stirling store was one of the 42 Homebase branches announced as having been selected for closure on 14th August this year. 

At the end of August, over 95% of Homebase creditors voted in favour of a proposed Company Voluntary Agreement, in a bid to save the company. The former owner, Australia's Wesfarmers, said that the investment in Homebase had been disappointing, and sold the business to investment company Hilco in June of this year.

In the last two weeks, Homebase has announced the closure of stores in Bath and Scunthorpe, neither of which were on the original list of stores earmarked for closure.  

Source : Insight DIY Team

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