The city centre building has a history dating back nearly two centuries – but has now stood empty for five years
The Debenhams building, in Old Market Square, Nottingham city centre.(Image: Joseph Raynor/ Reach PLC)
The owners of Nottingham’s historic Debenhams building will be challenged by the city council on its plans for the site – five years after it became vacant.
Concern is mounting over the abandoned state of the iconic structure in the Old Market Square and the effect that its appearance is having on the city’s economy.
Graffiti covers parts of the listed building, the ground floor remains boarded up and rough sleepers are often seen outside the empty store.
Authorities and civic experts have therefore expressed increasing frustration about delays on getting the building redeveloped, with concerns heightened when youths entered the building on multiple occasions.
Nottingham City Council has now said it is arranging a fresh meeting with the owners of the the site to “better understand the viability challenges” they may be facing in bringing plans forward.
The authority also says Homes England is engaging with the Debenhams building owners as it develops a strategic pipeline of housing for Nottingham – though purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA) still appears to be the plan for now.
NottinghamshireLive and the Nottingham Post launched our ‘Save the Debenhams Building’ campaign in January, calling for clarity from the building’s owners on when progress is likely to be made at the site.
Nottingham’s Debenhams branch closed in May 2021 and, nearly five years on, the site is in its longest period of inactivity since Robert and Edward Dickinson first opened their drapery store in 1846.
Councillor Jay Hayes, the executive member for planning and housing at Nottingham City Council (Image: Joseph Raynor/Nottingham Post)
Nottinghamshire Live previously reported that, in a private December 2024 meeting, developers outlined a broad vision for the Debenhams building to house luxury apartments, including in a new building towards the back of the site.
It then became apparent that these apartments could be used for student accommodation.
According to a city council map, those units could have originally been ready for the academic year starting in September 2027, though this was then pushed back to 2028.
Civic experts invited to that meeting, as well as Nottingham City Council’s leader, were under the impression that an official planning application would be submitted in 2025 – but this never materialised.
The city council’s student accommodation map still shows PBSA is the plan for now as the Debenhams owners take part in work with Homes England.
The disused Debenhams building off the Old Market Square needs some attention (Image: Joseph Raynor/Nottingham Post)
The government’s housing agency is preparing a strategic pipeline of housing for Nottingham and the Debenhams building owners are engaging with this work.
The update came from Councillor Jay Hayes, who leads on housing and planning at Nottingham City Council, and who answered a question about the Debenhams building at a meeting in March.
Councillor Hayes’ answer to Councillor Kevin Clarke, which has just been published, was: “There have been no recent discussions with the building owner and we remain concerned about the impact this vacant building is having on the city centre.
“The planning team are working with Homes England, who have provided funding to appoint Thomas Listers consultants to produce a strategic housing pipeline for Nottingham.
“The Debenhams site is included in that work and very recent contact has been made with the building owners, who have confirmed they are happy to engage.
“A meeting is being arranged to help better understand the viability challenges with bringing forward a re-use of the buildings and any new development.
“This will include discussing the options that the owner is considering and how these might be progressed.”
Further details from the December 2024 meeting included an ambition for student accommodation to occupy the entire Debenhams site above ground level.
This would mean the creation of around 500 units of accommodation, while the ground floor would be used for a mixture of retail and hospitality uses.
The Debenhams site was first bought by Long Row Properties Limited in 2017, on the assumption that the Debenhams store would provide a continuous income stream, a belief that proved short-lived when Nottingham’s branch closed in May 2021.
Longmead Capital now manages the site on behalf of Long Row Properties. Our campaign is calling for a clear timeframe from Longmead Capital on when the public can finally expect some official plans to be lodged with Nottingham City Council, but the company has still not responded to repeated requests for comment.