Future plans for empty Nuneaton Debenhams store to be decided within days

Plans to demolish part of the old Debenhams store in Nuneaton and renovate others have been given the green light, with proposals for the former department store on Bridge Street being submitted for approval.

Planning officers at Nuneaton and Bedworth Council say the proposals should be given the green light. Part of the building would be refurbished and part would be converted from Class E to Class C3 housing.

A total of 63 apartments are proposed, of which 29 are one-bedroom and 34 are two-bedroom. However, there would also be partial demolition to create a courtyard, partial roof extension and the construction of an ancillary three-storey building on the adjacent loading area, with Class E commercial retail on the ground floor.

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But the final decision will be made by members of the planning committee at a meeting on Tuesday (July 30). It comes more than a year after a brand new application was submitted to Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council for 5 Bridge Street.

It followed an earlier application for the old Bridge Street store, which was withdrawn before it reached a decision stage. The planning agenda said there were some concerns about the proposals.

Impact on the city’s heritage

Most notable was the impact on the heritage of the area. The report states: “The proposal has the potential to impact on three designated heritage assets, namely the Nuneaton Town Centre Conservation Area and the two listed buildings at numbers 35 and 39 Newdegate Street.”