‘Ailing’ shopping centre to be demolished
Stafford’s Guildhall Shopping Centre will be demolished for redevelopment after plans were approved by the council this week.
It marked an exit for Mercia Real Estate after its plans to develop the site had stalled and the council was “looking at the centre being mothballed for many years before anything would start or come to fruition”.
On Tuesday, the council approved a planning application for the ‘partial demolition’ of the centre and adjoining multi-storey car park – while retaining the historic frontage of the building.
The shopping centre comprises 38 business units, an indoor market, and the 255-space car park – which was shut due to safety concerns.
Market traders inside the indoor market were however only given three weeks’ notice that it would close.
The work will prepare the site for a future developer to create a new commercial and residential offer in the centre of the town. An application for the proposed business and home scheme is expected to be submitted over the next 12 months.
A cover letter as part of the planning application states: “The current proposals involve the demolition of part of the vacant shopping centre, apart from the buildings on the eastern frontage along Greengate Street and the existing and occupied buildings at Market Square which are to be retained.
“The commercial buildings along Crabbery Street, along with the commercial buildings fronting St Mary’s Grove do not form part of this application and as such will also be retained.”
