Building work has begun on transforming the former Debenhams department store building in Southport into a thriving new development.
Planning permission for the ambitious scheme, on Lord Street in the town’s ‘Northern Quarter’, was granted in 2022 by Sefton Council.
Bringing this historic building back into use will have a massive impact on the Lord Street frontage, attracting more visitors into town.
Phase one of the ‘comprehensive’ scheme will see the restoration of the beautiful Victorian era frontage on Lord Street into four new shops, restaurants or bars, in order to “return it to its former splendour”.
The upper floors would then become:
- Series of small retail / office / craft spaces
- 20 new apart hotel rooms overlooking Stanley Street
- Residential apartments overlooking Lord Street
- Café in the first floor courtyard
Bringing the site back to life will add further life to the growing Northern Quarter on Lord Street, much of it by Mikhail Hotel and Leisure Group.
Redevelopment work is continuing at The Grand (formerly the Grand Casino) with a new sky bar due to open later this year.
MHALG has recently refurbished the Bold Hotel, and last year opened Maverick’s Bar on the corner of Lord Street and Leicester Street.
Building work is currently taking place to restore other Lord Street units, including the former Jaeger building, being carried out by Craft & Sons./
The Debenhams scheme is being led by Firmcore Consulting Ltd with the ambitious plans having been drawn up by Southport firm RAL Architects.
In the submission, RAL Architects owner Rob Anderson said:
“The proposal is a comprehensive one to enable the building to be fully utilised to ensure its long-term retention and to return it to its former splendour.”
Building work is taking place to transform the former Debenhams department store building on Lord Street in Southport. Photo by Tony Wynne
The Victoria era department store and verandah were created in 1888-1900, although much of the rear of the building has been altered in the decades since then.
Developers behind the scheme have held discussions with Sefton Council planners about their planned “comprehensive re-purposing of the whole building”, which they said has been “broadly supportive”.
They submitted their plans for the front of the ground floor to the council so they can “get the primary street frontage back in use urgently to avoid any further vandalism to the listed building”.
Further applications for the remaining parts of the building will follow once this first phase is implemented.
The Grade II Listed building, in the Lord Street Conservation Area, has been vacant since it was one of 22 sites across the UK suddenly vacated by Debenhams in March 2020.
The former Debenhams department store building on Lord Street in Southport. Photo by Andrew Brown Stand Up For Southport
RAL Chartered Architects has been appointed by the owners to devise a scheme to re-invigorate the property for appropriate town centre uses and ensure its long term retention as a key feature of the Lord Street Conservation Area.
It is key that the heritage of the building is understood and every effort made to retain and where possible reinstate key features of the property.
Rob Anderson said: “The elevation fronting Lord Street is of high architectural value. The elevation is in the main intact with many surviving architectural details such as external doors / shop front glazing details, sash windows and brick and stone details which are of high value.”
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