News: B&Q bid for new Rotherham store
B&Q, the UK's leading home improvement and garden living retailer, could make a return to central Rotherham, if new plans are approved.
The retailer, part of the Kingfisher group, currently only operates at Cortonwood in the borough.
B&Q formerly occupied a 51,000 sq ft store at Northfields, Parkgate. It was purposely built to enable a move from the edge of the town centre in 2009 but it was vacated in June 2016 when B&Q cut back its UK store numbers.
Australian retail giant, Wesfarmers, opened and closed a Bunnings Warehouse in the unit in the space of five months before it returned to being a Homebase in 2018. The Trade Centre Group turned the site into a massive car showroom that opened in 2021.
Now the owners of the retail park at Great Eastern Way, also at Parkgate, are hoping to make space for B&Q by combining units together to create a new large store and garden centre.
The plans, from Rotherham Foundry RP Limited, involve Units 2 and 3, in addition to the existing rear service yard and a small area of car parking to the front of the units.
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Unit 2 (at 9,880 sq ft) is currently occupied by Bensons for Beds and Unit 3 (9,930 sq ft) is currently vacant, having previously been occupied by Harveys Furniture prior to the company entering administration.
Agents, Montagu Evans, state: "This application proposes a series of external alterations to the elevations of Units 2 and 3, associated with the proposed amalgamation of the two retail units to create one new retail unit to be occupied by B&Q.
"The proposed works are minor in scale, and will result in the shopfront remaining in keeping with the design of the other shopfronts at the Retail Park. This application also proposes the creation of a garden centre within the existing rear service yard."
The application argues that the planning permission for the original scheme means that the units have an "open Class E use with no restrictions on the ability to amalgamate the floorspace" and that the extension for an outdoor garden centre is specifically to meet the requirements of incoming tenant B&Q and is sequentially preferable in planning terms.
Applicants conclude that creating a 20,010 sq ft store, with a 5,145 sq ft external garden centre for B&Q would: "result in the re-occupation of a vacant unit at the site, thereby bringing it back into an active economic use, generating a significant number of new employment positions.
"Further, it will bring a new national retailer to Rotherham, not currently represented in the town. The closest store to the site is currently over 10km away at Cortonwood Shopping Park in Brampton. The proposed development will therefore reduce journey times for residents, as well as improving the choice and competition in the DIY local market."
Kingfisher plc operates over 2,000 stores, including both B&Q and Screwfix in the UK. It reported an adjusted pre-tax profit of £758m for the year January 31 2023, compared with £949m in the previous year.
B&Q website
Images: B&Q / Google Maps
The retailer, part of the Kingfisher group, currently only operates at Cortonwood in the borough.
B&Q formerly occupied a 51,000 sq ft store at Northfields, Parkgate. It was purposely built to enable a move from the edge of the town centre in 2009 but it was vacated in June 2016 when B&Q cut back its UK store numbers.
Australian retail giant, Wesfarmers, opened and closed a Bunnings Warehouse in the unit in the space of five months before it returned to being a Homebase in 2018. The Trade Centre Group turned the site into a massive car showroom that opened in 2021.
Now the owners of the retail park at Great Eastern Way, also at Parkgate, are hoping to make space for B&Q by combining units together to create a new large store and garden centre.
The plans, from Rotherham Foundry RP Limited, involve Units 2 and 3, in addition to the existing rear service yard and a small area of car parking to the front of the units.
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Unit 2 (at 9,880 sq ft) is currently occupied by Bensons for Beds and Unit 3 (9,930 sq ft) is currently vacant, having previously been occupied by Harveys Furniture prior to the company entering administration.
Agents, Montagu Evans, state: "This application proposes a series of external alterations to the elevations of Units 2 and 3, associated with the proposed amalgamation of the two retail units to create one new retail unit to be occupied by B&Q.
"The proposed works are minor in scale, and will result in the shopfront remaining in keeping with the design of the other shopfronts at the Retail Park. This application also proposes the creation of a garden centre within the existing rear service yard."
The application argues that the planning permission for the original scheme means that the units have an "open Class E use with no restrictions on the ability to amalgamate the floorspace" and that the extension for an outdoor garden centre is specifically to meet the requirements of incoming tenant B&Q and is sequentially preferable in planning terms.
"Further, it will bring a new national retailer to Rotherham, not currently represented in the town. The closest store to the site is currently over 10km away at Cortonwood Shopping Park in Brampton. The proposed development will therefore reduce journey times for residents, as well as improving the choice and competition in the DIY local market."
Kingfisher plc operates over 2,000 stores, including both B&Q and Screwfix in the UK. It reported an adjusted pre-tax profit of £758m for the year January 31 2023, compared with £949m in the previous year.
B&Q website
Images: B&Q / Google Maps
25 comments:
That's really good news.
A more appropriate size store, just need an M&S now to complete the out of town selection.
Agree, even if it's just an M&S foodhall.
B&Q hardly have a great track record in keeping stores open in Rotherham, but it will be very welcome even if its only for 6 months
Certainly a huge gap in the market. There is almost nowhere in the town where you can buy quality hardware items.
Well, there are a few nail bars
Whilst I welcome them back, they seem to be a bit fickle in coming and going
Before it moved from Greasbrough Street to Forge Way the B&Q store was in the same place for at least 25 years…so I’m confused by the comments re the coming and going…The move away from the edge of town seemed to be the undoing…
For heavens sake, don't start another proximity to town discussion.
I think the key question should any such discussion take place, is which of the former B&Q sites was closest to the Bluecoat.
Well I don't think the staff are very helpful. On a bank holiday sale morning I rang them to ask how big the queue was. They said "as big as the B".
And they can also be quite threatening. I asked someone on the help desk where the garden section was and they asked me if I wanted decking.
Not to mention rude! I bought a low wattage bulb recently and the lady on the checkout asked if I was putting it up myself. I told her no, it was going in the lounge.
Ba dum tish! Is the poster of the last three comments “here all week”? 😃
Hopefully for one night only
And what about the prices! I went to buy some loft insulation but it had gone through the roof!
I am not a fan. They never seem to stock what I want. Went for a few items last week and none of them in stock. And when they said they'd run out of safety helmets, well that put the tin lid on it.
That's not funny. I lost my job at B&Q when they moved from Rawmarsh Road. They didn't tell me where they were going.
From leaving university at 22 I worked in the Accounts Department at B&Q. Out of the blue they sacked me on my 32nd birthday.
What a way to treat someone after 14 years loyal service.
Standards throughout the retail and service sectors have declined markedly in my experience. This morning I popped into my local bank branch and asked a staff member to check my balance. She pushed me over.
You're no pushover if you found a local bank branch!
It was local to Glasgow
Good point. Even CROW (the Chav Republic of Wickersley) no longer has a bank branch. Thank goodness for their MP then.
Following his successful campaign to keep open local bank branches in Wickersley, MP Mr Stafford will now focus his energy on keeping open the local Post Office and library.
Mr Stafford will soon be looking for other employment. Perhaps there may be an opening for a trolly attendant at the new B&Q
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