Britain’s disappearing department stores could be given protected status as part of Historic England’s review.
The announcement from the heritage authority comes amid widespread closures caused in part by the coronavirus pandemic, economic turmoil and customers’ shift to online shopping.
According to campaigners, more than 50 per cent of department stores across the country have closed in the past seven years, leaving almost two million square meters of retail space empty and the original buildings under threat of demolition.
A spokesman for Historic England said the body was reviewing department stores across the country following an increase in requests for some of them to be listed.
They said that while the review was at an “early stage”, it would help them “understand the importance of surviving examples”.
Earlier this month, the government agreed to a recommendation by Historic England to grant Grade II listed status to the former Brutalist John Lewis and Cole Brothers building in Sheffield after a 20-year campaign by campaigners.
Another Brutalist building highlighted as being at risk by campaigners is Norco House in Aberdeen – which was also occupied by John Lewis.
Other buildings at risk identified by the Twentieth Century Society (C20) include former Debenhams stores in Surrey and Somerset and the Marks and Spencer flagship store on London’s Oxford Street.
The 1930s Art Deco Orchard House will be demolished along with two other buildings. M&S wants to replace the 91-year-old iconic store with a 10-storey building.
The vocal opposition prompted then-Communities Secretary Michael Gove to order an inquiry into the future of the store, but last week M&S insisted they wanted to go ahead with the project.
Britain’s disappearing department stores could be given protected status as part of Historic England’s review. A brutalist former department store highlighted as at risk by campaigners is Norco House in Aberdeen – which was occupied by John Lewis
The Twentieth Century Society (C20) mentioned the former Hammonds building in Hull – which was occupied by House of Fraser until 2019 – in its campaign to save department stores. It has an art deco style
Earlier this month, the government agreed to a recommendation by Historic England to grant Grade II listed status to the former Brutalist John Lewis and Cole Brothers building (pictured) in Sheffield after a 20-year campaign by campaigners
As well as the C20, campaign group SAVE Britain’s Heritage has also called for buildings that have dominated cities for decades to be saved.
Historic England’s review was welcomed by SAVE.
Henrietta Billings, director of the organisation, said: “These majestic and prestigious commercial palaces that were built to impress and have stood the test of time through the quality of the architecture and the great affection that people have for them.
“We hope this review will lead to more and emergency listings – meaning protection and national recognition – across the country.”
C20 carried out its own review of former department stores as part of a campaign launched last April to save those at risk.
Buildings mentioned on the campaign page include the former Hammonds building in Hull, which was occupied by House of Fraser until 2019.
The building dates back to 1952 after the original – built in 1916 – was destroyed by German bombs in World War II.
The C20 is said to be “strikingly European in style” and “combines classicism and modernism with triple tall stone columns on the corner facade and Art Deco ripples in the glazing”.
The imposing former John Lewis building in Aberdeen was built between 1966 and 1970, initially as a stand-off for the Northern Co-operative Society.
Called the Norco House, it was purchased in the 1980s by John Lewis, who renovated and extended it. The outlet closed during the coronavirus lockdown and did not reopen after restrictions were eased.
John Lewis confirmed its final closure in July last year. The building was considered for listing in 2007 and 2019/2020, but was rejected both times.
Debenhams stores closed for the last time in May last year after the firm collapsed in 2020 and was bought by online brand Boohoo.
C20 listed several former Debenhams stores as “still at risk”. One, in Taunton, Somerset, was built in the 19th century and was taken over by Debenhams in 1959.
C20 says of the building on its website: “While the front is 1930s in style, the facades of Goodland Gardens are more typical of the 1960s, with extensive glazing and colorful paneling with concrete partitions .”
The charity strongly opposed the proposal to demolish the shop and build a block of 92 flats in its place.
C20 is also objecting to proposals to demolish a former TJ Hughes store in Eastbourne.
The building dates back to the 1920s but is currently empty and proposals have been put forward to demolish it and replace it with new shops and flats.
Another former Debenhams store, in Steyn, Surrey, could also be demolished and turned into flats. The C20 rejected the proposal. In April, the building was added to a local list of buildings of architectural or historic interest.
While Historic England makes recommendations for listing, the final decision is made by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).
They said earlier this month they had made a recommendation to grant Grade II listed Grant status to the former John Lewis and Cole Brothers building in Sheffield.
A spokesman said the building was a “rare example of a post-war department store – designed by a leading firm of mid-C20 architects – with clean, crisp modernist lines and a sophisticated layout for shoppers.
“He stood out from the crowd and contributed to the City of Sheffield’s vision for a vibrant new environment for its residents,” they added.
Speaking today about the review of other department stores, a spokesperson said: “We are researching the history of department stores to provide a national overview of the key architectural and historical phases of their development.
This former TJ Hughes store in Eastbourne, which dates back to the 1920s, is under threat of demolition. The former store is empty and a design proposal has been submitted to demolish the building
C20 listed several former Debenhams stores as “still at risk”. One, in Taunton, Somerset, was built in the 19th century and was taken over by Debenhams in 1959.
“This will help us understand the relative importance of the surviving examples to inform our listing assessments and our recommendations that go to the government.”
“This is in response to changes in the retail industry which have led to store closures and increased requests to be considered for listing.
“This is preliminary work prior to commissioning a potential wider thematic research report on department stores. It’s at an early stage, so we don’t yet know if it will lead to proposals to list further examples.”
Last week, M&S pledged that 95 per cent of the materials in its existing flagship store on Oxford Street would be recovered, recycled or reused as it fought back fierce opposition to proposals to demolish the existing building.
In May, Grand Designs presenter Kevin McCloud and comedian Griff Rhys Jones were among 27 influential figures who signed an open letter to Communities Secretary Michael Gove calling on him to launch an investigation into M&S’s plans.
They said demolishing the building would “pump nearly 40,000 tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere”.
Last week, M&S pledged that 95 per cent of the materials at its existing flagship store on Oxford Street would be recovered, recycled or reused as it battles fierce opposition to proposals to demolish the existing building (pictured above in 2020 compared to its planned replacement)
Mr Gove then announced an inquiry into the store’s future in June, while still in his post as Secretary of State for Upgrading, Housing and Communities.
According to the Guardian, Sasha Berendzhi, group director of M&S, said last week that the new building would use less than a quarter of the energy of the current structure.
He added that Orchard House, the 1929 Portland Stone building that is at the heart of the firm’s renovation plan, represents only 30 percent of the structures being demolished.
“Even heavy renovation of buildings would involve more embodied carbon and leave structural deficiencies unaddressed, limiting our ability to improve energy use,” he said.
The letter, signed by Mr McCloud and Mr Rhys Jones, who is also president of the Victorian Society, claimed the building could remain standing for “another 100 years or more” if planners used “ingenuity of design”.
They want the existing building to be retrofitted, not torn down and replaced with a new one.