A major national retailer – rumoured to be Primark or TK Maxx – is set to move into Workington town centre.
A planning application has been lodged with Allerdale council to change the shopfront of the town’s Debenhams store in connection with a new store opening in the Washington Square premises.
The three-storey 157sq m building has been epmty since May 2021 when Debenhams went into administration nationally.
Supporting statements for the application – which has been totally redacted to keep the chain’s identity a secret – says: “The high-quality external works proposed to the shopfront is considered to be an improvement on the existing design and has fully considered its immediate shopping centre surroundings as well as the new occupiers’ requirements.
“The proposal will improve the appearance at street frontage and will assist in positively enhancing the vitality of Washington Square.”
Locally, the national chain is being named as Primark – it has long been talked about that the store wanted to open in Workington – but rumours have also swirled around the town that TK Maxx and even a bowling alley were due to move into the vacant building.
Washington Square opened in 2006, after a £50 million overhaul of the town centre, which saw the demoltion of the existing St John’s Precinct. It has 60 retail units and a 427-space multi-storey car park.
It was sold for £30 million to real estate investment manager Europa Capital and shopping centre developer Scoop AM in 2014.
In the last 15 years its occupancy rate has fallen significantly – with Pandora, Laura Ashley and H&M among the stores opening and closing during that time.
Losing Debenhams, its so-called ‘anchor store’, was a huge blow.
In 2020, the West Sussex-based Sovereign Centros was appointed as strategic asset managers for the shopping centre on behalf of Europa Capital.
The application has been lodged on behalf of Kevin Mersh and Matthew Nagle, of Savills, the joint fixed receivers over Washington Square Shopping Centre. This suggests that its current owner has gone bust.
It is not clear if any of the firms involved in Washington Square has gone into administration – Companies House has them all as current operating businesses.
The appointment of a receiver by a secured creditor is a contractual remedy, usually without recourse to the courts.
