Stafford’s former Wilko store bought by council as part of ambitious town centre transformation plans
Stafford’s former Wilko store has been bought by the borough council as part of its ambitious town centre transformation plans.
The authority has also acquired 10-12 Gaolgate Street, two retail units which are attached to the former Co-op Department Store, it was revealed this week.
Councillors gave the go-ahead for the purchases earlier this year, but details of the site locations were kept confidential at the time due to commercial sensitivity. Now the two sites have been publicly announced – and the council has said the car park at the former Wilko store site will remain open.
The Wilko branch, located between Chell Road and Broad Street, shut in 2023 as part of shop closures across the country. The unit reopened just weeks later as a Poundland branch after being snapped up by Pepco, but this store closed the following year.
One of the Gaolgate Street retail units recently purchased by the council is currently a branch of Go Express – part of Go Outdoors – and the other was most recently a Blue Cross charity shop. Demolition work is under way at the former Co-op Department store and Guildhall Shopping Centre which the authority had previously bought.
Stafford Borough Council was awarded £14.3m by the Government in 2020 to help fund the town centre regeneration project. The historic frontages of the former department store and shopping centre set to be retained, and the sites are earmarked for future commercial, retail and residential use.
Demolition costs for the former shopping centre and department costs came in lower than estimated, a report to the council’s cabinet said in May. This meant there was money available from the Future High Streets Fund (FHSF) to purchase the two additional sites.
The council’s deputy leader Rob Kenney, who has responsibility for town centres, said this week: “I’m really pleased to be able to announce the acquisition of both these new sites. This has created a larger footprint for the transformation of the town centre which will prove to be another draw for major investors.
“Unfortunately, these buildings would have likely remained empty without council intervention and investors have praised us for taking the initiative by acquiring these sites and undertaking the appropriate groundwork that will attract developers to invest in Stafford. This work has not only generated interest in these sites but in Stafford town centre generally.
“We are creating a place for people to visit, to live in, to shop in, to work in, and relax in. A town centre fit for a county town and a county town to be proud of.”
Council leader Aidan Godfrey added: “This is great news for our ambitious vision of transforming Stafford town centre. We have met with a number of potential investors this year who have been impressed with our ambition, and the progress we have already made.”
National developers have expressed an interest in working with the borough council due to the work being undertaken on the former department store and shopping centre to prepare the sites for potential development, the authority has said. Other government-funded projects to revamp the ton centre’s Market Square and the approach to Stafford Railway Station have been completed.
