Five retailers plan to move into former Ipswich BHS store

Proposals submitted by the Frasers Group show how the former building would look internally and externally once fully taken over by five of the groups biggest retail brands.

The Ipswich branch of BHS was one of the chain’s flagship stores and has been at its present site since the late 1990s after moving from Tavern Street to Butter Market, before its closure in 2016.

Flannels, a high-end fashion retailer, will take up the majority of the ground floor, with fashion retailer USC taking up a portion, as well as Sports Direct.

Flannels is a high-end fashion retailer (Image: Google Maps)

The BHS building has been empty since 2016 (Image: Paul Geater)

On the first floor, Sports Direct will take up the majority, with sections being carved out to facilitate Evans Cycles and GAME.

Both Flannels and Sports Direct will have separate entrances, with signage for four of the five shops being visible outside the building.

USC will also have its own entrance from St Stephen's Lane. USC and Sports Direct will be located within the same area of the shop.

The rear entrance will be used to access USC and Sports Direct (Image: Newsquest)

Sports Direct in Ipswich will be moving (Image: Archant)

In March this year, it was revealed that the former BHS building was being taken over by Sports Direct and GAME, with Flannels being the latest addition to the brands to move into the building.

There has been talk that Frasers Group would move some of their existing outlets in Ipswich into the BHS building for many years, after acquiring the premises in 2020.

 The building, which measures at 25,000 sq ft, has been vacant since 2016, when BHS collapsed and closed stores across the country.

Signage will go up around the outside of the building for four of the brands (Image: Archant)

The planning applications submitted to Ipswich Borough Council are for the installation of new shutters, doors and signage around the outside of the building.

A Frasers Group spokesperson said in March that the store would open late summer.

Terry Baxter, Chair of Ipswich Central, was among those to welcome the news and said it was a "vote of confidence" be Frasers Group and hoped it would be a "catalyst" for more businesses to move into the town centre.

He added: “This is excellent news for Ipswich and will be a boost for our town centre. It has been a long time coming, with a number of false starts, so let’s hope that the process will be swift and the premises open as soon as possible.”

Ipswich Borough Councillor John Cook welcomes the news (Image: Ipswich Labour Party)

Colin Kreidewolf, Central Area Committee and planning member for Ipswich Borough Council said: "It's really good news for the town and it's in the core heart of the town, which is positive, and hopefully that can encourage other retailers to show the same sort of confidence to come to the town.

"It's welcome news, it will increase interest in the town centre, so that can't be anything but positive."

The leader of the borough council, Neil MacDonald said: "It will give the central part of the Buttermarket a big lift, increase footfall and hopefully encourage other retailers to move into the vacant units nearby.  It’s fantastic news for the revitalisation of the town centre."

Councillor John Cook, Ipswich Borough Councillor for Alexandra Ward, also welcomed the news.

He said: "This development is long overdue and will be welcomed by other retailers in the area, and by Ipswich residents in general.

"That it's happening now is a vote of confidence in the future of our town centre by Frasers Group and I look forward to the shops opening."

Councillor Carole Jones, IBC portfolio holder for planning, added: "I’m very pleased to see this application submitted.

"It would be brilliant to see new stores in the old BHS building at long last – I’m sure everyone in Ipswich will welcome this move.

"It would really give a huge boost to the Buttermarket and the businesses nearby."