Demolition of Stafford shopping centre as part of regeneration plans set to be approved

Stafford Borough Council bought the Guildhall Shopping Centre last year as part of its ambitious town centre regeneration project.

On Tuesday, members of the council’s planning committee will consider an application to demolish buildings on the site so it can be prepared for future development.

Historic features including the clock tower, Market Square façade and St John’s Market entrances are set to be retained however.

The authority has said it will be seeking a future development partner for transformation of the Guildhall Shopping Centre site due to the scale of the project. And a separate application for a proposed business and residential scheme is expected to come forward some time in the next year.

The demolition proposal has been referred to the council’s planning committee for a decision because it is considered a large-scale major application and the authority itself is the applicant. The application has been recommended for approval by planning officers.

Four people have objected to the application, saying that the demolition should form part of a full redevelopment scheme and the site should be left undeveloped. But two supports have said the proposed works will benefit the town.

A report to Tuesday’s special planning committee meeting said: “The demolition of the Guildhall Shopping Centre, multi-storey car park, and market hall require planning permission due to the location within the Stafford Town Conservation Area.

"The demolition programme is expected to last for seven to eight months during which, and afterwards, the site would be surrounded with 2.4m high timber kentledge hoarding.

“The Wesleyan Chapel clock tower and the Market Square façade and front section of the mall, up to and including The Fragrance Shop and the vacant former Polka Dot Travel shop units, are omitted from the application site and would be retained together with the historic St Johns Market entrances.

"The buildings fronting Crabbery Street and St Marys Grove do not form part of the application site and are also to be retained.

“The demolition of the vacant buildings, which are not usable in their current state, is proposed to facilitate the redevelopment of the site for a residential-led mixed-use scheme in the future. It is considered that such a scheme has the potential to significantly improve the vibrancy and vitality of the town centre.”

Just a few shops remained open in the centre, which has 38 business units, at the time it was acquired by the authority and the multi-storey car park had been shut due to safety concerns.

The shopping centre first opened in the late 1980s and has previously been home over the years to branches of major retail chains including HMV, Poundland, Top Shop and Waterstones.