Former Homebase Store In Canterbury Remains Empty

A former Homebase store in Canterbury which had been expected to reopen as a new Wickes store remains unlet.

Canterbury City Council paid £3.5m for the Cow Lane site in 2013 and Homebase vacated it in January 2019, the store having been earmarked for closure following a shareholder vote to approve a CVA for the troubled business in September 2018.  

The building has lain empty for nearly two years, despite the council having received a number of offers.  The car park is barricaded and the building is understood to be covered in graffiti.  

Wickes expressed an interest in the site in early 2020 and submitted several planning applications relating to the store and surrounding site.  These included a request to remove an avenue of 14 London Plane trees lining the road, to make the store more visible to passers-by.  The public made numerous complaints and council planners ruled in favour of retaining the trees, resulting in Wickes pulling out of the deal.

Local press reports that Canterbury City Council has has downplayed the lost rental income, stating that the it was a long term, strategic purchase.  When asked about the lost rental value, a spokesperson for the council said the information could not be made public, advising that it would, “reveal our hand when it comes to commercial negotiations with prospective tenants”.

Source : Insight DIY Team

Image : Jonny Essex / Shutterstock.com

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