Durham's Prince Bishops Place shopping centre may house students

About 30% of the retail units are empty with many national high street names leaving

A city shopping centre could mostly shut for two years while part of it is turned into student accommodation and a hotel.

The owners of Prince Bishops Place in Durham said it was "essential to re-invent" the centre where about 30% of the retail units are vacant.

They want to demolish the upper floors to create accommodation and re-design shop units, reducing their size.

Plans are expected to be submitted to the council later this year.

Students protested in October amid claims of rising rents and a lack of available property

The city's student housing system has been described as "broken" in recent months, which saw undergraduates queuing overnight last October to try and secure a home for the following year.

Durham University and letting agents could sign up to a code of practice, under new plans, which the students' union called "the first step" in addressing problems.

'Further decline'

The shopping centre - which is sandwiched between Market Place and Saddler Street - opened 25 years ago filled with high street retailers including department stores.

However, the pandemic and changes to people's shopping habits left it with vacant spaces, which it said were generally too big for independent retailers.

Citrus Group said without intervention the shopping centre would "decline further".

The layout of the shopping centre has been described as "inward looking" and not making the most of city and river views

It is proposing a redesign of shopping floorspace for smaller retailers and the creation of a new public square overlooking the River Wear, with an additional hotel and up to 300 student flats.

James Taylor, regional director for developer Citrus Group, said: "We are very excited to be involved in such a transformational project and working with local communities and stakeholders over the coming weeks to hear their views as part of our pre-planning engagement."

Drop-in events for people to have their say on the proposals will be held on 19 July and 9 August.

It is expected plans will be handed to Durham County Council later this year.

Work, if approved, is likely to take about two years to complete, with the centre "largely closed to the public" from early-2025 to mid-2027.

An artist's impression has been produced of the proposed new public space