Major step taken in repurposing of former M&S department store in Banbury's town centre

Cherwell District Council has approved plans to refit part of a former department store into office space in Banbury's Castle Quay Shopping Centre.
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Cherwell District Council has approved the change of use from class E retail to class E professional services for part of the former M&S building at the Castle Quay Shopping Centre.

A spokesperson for Cherwell District Council said: “The council has sought this certificate of lawfulness to allow flexibility in pursuing opportunities with prospective future tenants.

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"There is strong interest from an office occupier, but this will only form part of the repurposing of the former M&S, together with retaining an element of retail.”

Cherwell District Council has taken another step towards repurposing the former M&S department store in Banbury's Castle Quay Shopping Centre.Cherwell District Council has taken another step towards repurposing the former M&S department store in Banbury's Castle Quay Shopping Centre.
Cherwell District Council has taken another step towards repurposing the former M&S department store in Banbury's Castle Quay Shopping Centre.

The proposals involve the change of use of the property, which belongs to the council. The proposals were considered to be lawful and did not require planning permission.

The former M&S building had very briefly been used as a Covid-19 testing site early in the autumn. The town centre testing facility had only been open just over two weeks.

The Bridge Street Marks and Spencer store closed permanently in the summer of 2020.

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The store was the first major store to come to the Castle Shopping Centre, which was later extended to become Castle Quay, when Debenhams arrived in town.

It had been a town centre mainstay since 1982, opening in November of that year.