M&S fears - Wolverhampton Council asks for talks with Marks & Spencer over future of city store

Members of Wolverhampton Council were told that the retailer's lease on its store in Dudley Street is due to end in 2027, and the council asked for a meeting with the retail giant asking to discuss its long-term plans for the city.

Councillor Chris Burden, cabinet member for city development, said the retailer had closed a number of its branches in recent years. He told the council that its continued presence in Wolverhampton demonstrated the importance of the city to the company.

But he also said that the council also planned to talk to the new owner of the building about alternative uses for the building should Marks & Spencer decide to move out.

Councillor Burden told the council that Marks & Spencer's operating model had changed and it was important that the council was proactive and prepared for this.

Councillor Burden, responding to a question from Councillor Wendy Dalton, deputy leader of the Conservative opposition group, said the building could potentially be used for housing, leisure or student accommodation.

"Ultimately we know that cities and town centres across the country are changing, and in Wolverhampton we're undergoing that major transformation, and attracting significantly new investment into the leisure sector, and we will continue to do so.. 

"We will be working with the new owner of the building on Dudley Street to secure future uses should they need to be secured in future," he said.

"We don't want to be reactive, we want to be absolutely proactive, if anything changes on the site.

"We know that is a fantastic store, and we love that M & S is there, and it's a prime location in the city centre, making it absolutely suitable for multiple alternative units as a big unit going all the way back from Dudley Street down back to Market Street. 

"It could be so many things, could be leisure, could be used for hotel uses, residential, a restaurant or student accommodation."

Councillor Dalton said a number of residents had mentioned that they thought the shop seemed 'empty', and had fewer lines than it had in the past.

"There's quite a lot of concern in the city," she said.

"Please, if you can do anything, keep this flagship afloat for our city, because outside of that, there aren't any great shops really, especially as Beatties has gone.

"The last thing we want is them to get sucked into a soulless retail space just because there's a car park there, and there isn't one here."

Councillor Burden said he would do all he could to keep Marks & Spencer in the city.