M&S Foodhall move in Midlands city set for decision this week

Marks & Spencer’s plan to move its food hall across a retail park to larger premises will be decided this week by city planners.

The scheme would see the M&S Foodhall in Blackpole Retail Park leave its current home and take over the current Oak Furnitureland and the former Bensons for Beds stores.

Worcester City Council’s planning committee will decide on the plans at a meeting at the Guildhall on Thursday (March 19).M&S says the move would provide a “state-of-the-art retail experience” for customers, featuring “attractive lighting, light boxes and digital screens”.

Work would include the removal of the mezzanine floors in both units.

The retailer says it considered a number of sites around the city including in Cathedral Square, St Martin’s Quarter, CrownGate Shopping Centre and the former Gala Bingo in Foregate Street, before opting to expand its offering at the retail park.

But city councillor Jill Desayrah said city centre sites were dismissed “because they would compete with the existing High Street Marks & Spencer”.

The Labour councillor for Warndon said the Foodhall’s relocation would “inevitably lead to the closure of the High Street Marks & Spencer, accelerating [high street] decline”.

Worcester Civic Society said M&S should take another look at city centre premises including the former House of Fraser in Chapel Walk and the old Gala Bingo.

In plans submitted to the council, M&S said: “Blackpole Retail Park is located in an area that will continue to complement the M&S department store and foodhall in the city centre through meeting a different need and serving a different catchment area.“

A potential site within or on the edge of Worcester City Centre would not meet the need that M&S have identified or serve the same catchment area and the purpose of the application is to [simply] allow M&S to extend their current convenience offer in the same location.”