Vacant department store to be demolished for homes

The former Beales store in Lowestoft has been vacant since 2019

The demolition of a former department store is set to give way to a five-storey residential and commercial building after plans were approved.

East Suffolk’s planning committee members met on Friday to discuss plans to demolish the former Beales store on the corner of Regent Road and London Road North in Lowestoft.

The plans, submitted by Panther (VAT) Properties Limited, will see the site turned into 45 new homes on the upper storeys and commercial units on the ground floor.

John Snow, a consultant from Tetrick Planning who spoke on behalf of the applicant, said the plans came at a time of significant need for new homes in the town.

"Collectively these proposals will provide a significant economic boost to the area and will aid in attracting investment and hoping to reinstate the area’s vibrancy and vitality into the future," he added.

The building, which has been vacant since 2019, will also give way to two communal gardens, 84 bike storage spaces, and mobility storage for eight vehicles, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

There were some concerns, however, with four objection letters raising issues around the design, the size of the flats, the overbearing nature of the development, and the lack of parking.

Katie Graham, a councillor who voiced her concerns, also said she was disappointed there were no proposals for delivering affordable housing.

"I have my reservations about this one - I feel that it’s very much a private venture for people on a certain social ladder, I’m not really sure what it’s signalling for the broader community," she said.

"I think it’s not going to lift the high street in a way we might otherwise aspire to."

A report submitted by the applicant, and reviewed independently by the council, concluded there would be no financial viability to the scheme if affordable housing was included in the plans.

The report presented to councillors also concluded the proposals were acceptable.

"The new residential units would potentially increase footfall within the town centre which, along with other schemes, are deemed to improve the viability and vitality of the town centre – especially during evening hours," the report added.

In the end, councillors followed the officer’s recommendation for approval with seven votes in favour, one objection, and one abstention.