Iconic Debenhams store is transformed into huge entertainment zone with 12-lane bowling alley, dancefloor & roller rink
AN iconic Debenhams store has been given a new lease of life after being transformed into an entertainment venue.
After the business went into administration in 2020, hundreds of the huge department stores were left empty on UK high streets.
4
4
4
Now, one of the abandoned stores has been completely transformed into the ultimate entertainment space.
The Debenhams in Midsummer Place, Milton Keynes has been revamped by entertainment company Lane 7.
The 40,000 square foot space has been kitted out with a bowling alley, roller skating rink, golf simulators, bumper cars, pool tables and a gaming experience.
Lane 7's Luke Harvey said: "The culture of what people want from their nights out has changed a lot recently, the shift from being a drinking culture has stopped a little bit, especially for 18-24 year olds.
"People want a little more from their nights out; they don't necessarily want to go to a nightclub anymore.
"They want something fun and something they can do with a range of different friends and families."
Since opening in March, the venue has seen about 2,300 visitors on its busiest days which are usually Friday nights and evenings.
The entertainment company has taken over the ground floor, while Sports Direct occupies the upper floors.
Although shoppers can still buy from Debenhams online, all of its 124 beloved high street stores closed down because of falling profits and rising debt.
The financial problems were triggered by a combination of consumers moving online, as well as Covid lockdowns which stalled profits.
Across the country, councils and developers have been repurposing former Debenhams stores.
One in Northampton was demolished and replaced by student housing in October 2024, a fate that will follow for the two other stores left in the city.
Similar plans are going ahead in Guildford, with 185 new homes replacing the former Debenhams store.
Other empty stores, including the ex-BHS and Marks and Spencer buildings on Abington Street, Northampton, will also be converted into flats to try and meet growing housing needs.
In Ipswich, the borough council have described the empty four story building as a "blight" on the town centre, overlooking the newly revamped Cornhill square.
The council claims the building's owner has rejected several applications from "well-known retailers" to take over the site.
A store in Norwich faces an uncertain future, with plans to demolish the shop to be rebuilt as student accommodation being fought by Historic England given its proximity to Norwich Castle.
Like the Milton Keynes store, some former Debenhams' have undergone an exciting revival.
A store in the Grafton Centre, Cambridge, is due to be converted into office and lab space for life science studies.
Redevelopment work is being undertaken by Corstorphine and Wright who said they had: "identified areas that could be removed to allow for new development, including a vacant flagship Debenhams store and an underused entrance plaza."
4
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Leader Live
an hour ago
- Leader Live
Brexit rules spark ‘clear demand' for more motorhome parking, lobby group says
Boosting provision for these vehicles would generate more revenue for local businesses and increase the number of visitors to tourist destinations outside the peak summer season, the Campaign for Real Aires (Campra) said. Aires is a French word used to describe designated stopping places for motorcaravans – the collective term for motorhomes and campervans – which are much more common in continental Europe than the UK. Post-Brexit rules mean UK passport holders are prohibited from being in the Schengen area – which covers most of the European Union and some other European nations – for more than 90 days within a 180-day period. That means many UK-based motorcaravan users are seeking domestic destinations for overnight trips. But a survey of 6,731 users suggested 88% are dissatisfied with the UK's availability of overnight parking in desirable locations. The poll also indicated that motorcaravaners spend an average of £51 per day in local businesses and £23 per night on overnight parking or campsite fees. Many respondents commented on the UK's lack of infrastructure and welcoming attitude compared with continental Europe, Campra said. Last month, Hampshire County Council approved plans to ban campervans and motorhomes from staying overnight at the south coast beauty spot of Keyhaven, near Lymington. It claimed the move would 'bring order' to the area. Campra managing director Steve Haywood said welcoming motorcaravans to an area 'can be a hugely positive move'. He went on: 'There is a clear demand – emphasised by post-Brexit travel restrictions – for more overnight stay options in UK towns and cities, and those towns and cities could benefit hugely by embracing motorcaravans. 'More councils are seeing the benefits of providing facilities, instead of suffering the cost of enforcement and bans, not to mention the loss of potential revenue to businesses. 'In Fleetwood, Lancashire, for example, the introduction of overnight parking in the seafront car park for £5 per night has seen a huge boost in revenue for local shops, and has been so successful that additional facilities are now being planned for motorcaravanners. 'Every council that has operated a 12-month trial aire has been successful and made the overnight parking permanent.' Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency figures show more than 416,000 motorcaravans are registered in the UK. A spokesperson for the Local Government Association said: 'Policies around overnight motorcaravan parking and the provision of facilities are a matter for local councils.'
South Wales Guardian
an hour ago
- South Wales Guardian
Brexit rules spark ‘clear demand' for more motorhome parking, lobby group says
Boosting provision for these vehicles would generate more revenue for local businesses and increase the number of visitors to tourist destinations outside the peak summer season, the Campaign for Real Aires (Campra) said. Aires is a French word used to describe designated stopping places for motorcaravans – the collective term for motorhomes and campervans – which are much more common in continental Europe than the UK. Post-Brexit rules mean UK passport holders are prohibited from being in the Schengen area – which covers most of the European Union and some other European nations – for more than 90 days within a 180-day period. That means many UK-based motorcaravan users are seeking domestic destinations for overnight trips. But a survey of 6,731 users suggested 88% are dissatisfied with the UK's availability of overnight parking in desirable locations. The poll also indicated that motorcaravaners spend an average of £51 per day in local businesses and £23 per night on overnight parking or campsite fees. Many respondents commented on the UK's lack of infrastructure and welcoming attitude compared with continental Europe, Campra said. Last month, Hampshire County Council approved plans to ban campervans and motorhomes from staying overnight at the south coast beauty spot of Keyhaven, near Lymington. It claimed the move would 'bring order' to the area. Campra managing director Steve Haywood said welcoming motorcaravans to an area 'can be a hugely positive move'. He went on: 'There is a clear demand – emphasised by post-Brexit travel restrictions – for more overnight stay options in UK towns and cities, and those towns and cities could benefit hugely by embracing motorcaravans. 'More councils are seeing the benefits of providing facilities, instead of suffering the cost of enforcement and bans, not to mention the loss of potential revenue to businesses. 'In Fleetwood, Lancashire, for example, the introduction of overnight parking in the seafront car park for £5 per night has seen a huge boost in revenue for local shops, and has been so successful that additional facilities are now being planned for motorcaravanners. 'Every council that has operated a 12-month trial aire has been successful and made the overnight parking permanent.' Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency figures show more than 416,000 motorcaravans are registered in the UK. A spokesperson for the Local Government Association said: 'Policies around overnight motorcaravan parking and the provision of facilities are a matter for local councils.'
North Wales Chronicle
2 hours ago
- North Wales Chronicle
Farage plans to charge non-doms £250,000 fee which will be given to poor
On Monday, the party leader and MP for Clacton will reveal the policy which he said would 'encourage the return of wealth and talent to the United Kingdom', according to the Telegraph. The Labour Government abolished the non-dom tax status in April, which is where UK residents whose permanent home or domicile for tax purposes is outside the UK. Last year, former Conservative chancellor Jeremy Hunt revealed plans to scrap the tax status before successor Rachel Reeves sped up the process. Reform UK's policy would mean 'every high-net-worth newcoming (or returning leaver)' would pay a £250,000 one-off fee 'in return for a stable, indefinite remittance-style regime on offshore income and a 20-year inheritance-tax shield', Mr Farage wrote in an article for the Telegraph. All of this fee would be given to Britain's lowest-paid full-time workers through an automatic tax-free dividend via HMRC, the party leader added. In response, Labour said the policy was a 'golden ticket for foreign billionaires to avoid the tax they owe in this country'. Mr Farage wrote: 'Our policy is simple – Britain must be a place where success is celebrated, not punished with excessive taxes, crippling energy costs, or punitive inheritance levies. 'We will actively encourage the return of wealth and talent to the United Kingdom, on the clear condition that those who come here deliver immediate, visible benefits to our workers.' The plan would mean around 2.5 million 'hard-working Britons' would receive an 'annual cash bonus', the Reform UK leader claimed. He added: 'Our policy is not a 'golden visa' or a backdoor to citizenship. 'It is a one-time flat tax paid by newcomers in exchange for the certainty of a favourable tax status. 'Individuals will still be liable for all standard UK taxes on UK-sourced income, property and spending. 'But they won't be taxed on offshore income and gains for the duration of their agreed status.' A Labour spokesperson said: 'Nigel Farage can brand this whatever he wants – the reality is his first proper policy is a golden ticket for foreign billionaires to avoid the tax they owe in this country. 'As ever with Reform, the devil is in the detail. 'This giveaway would reduce revenues raised from the rich that would have to be made up elsewhere – through tax hikes on working families or through Farage's promise to charge them to use the NHS.'
