Camberley’s House of Fraser To Be Left Mothballed

Published on: 23 Jan, 2025
Updated on: 23 Jan, 2025

House of Fraser Camberley. Google Street View

By Chris Caulfield

local democracy reporter

The House of Fraser building in the heart of Camberley will be left vacant and mothballed after Surrey Heath Borough Council said its redevelopment would be too expensive.

The “iconic” site, together with the NatWest Bank branch, was bought by the council in 2016 with £17.1 million of borrowed money – which the authority hoped would return a yield of 6.8 per cent and help regenerate the town centre.

Instead, it will stand empty with the council unable to afford refurbishment work, including asbestos removal.

Surrey Heath Borough Council says it will cover its maintenance costs as it looks to offload the site with Homes England, the government’s housing and regeneration agency, or other brownfield developers mentioned as possible options.

The asbestos lining the leaking 50-year-old roof of the former department store in Camberley needs £3.5 million to be fixed.

Cllr Shaun Macdonald

Cllr Shaun Macdonald (Lib Dem, Lightwater), leader of Surrey Heath Borough Council, said: “This iconic building, situated in the heart of Camberley, holds immense potential for redevelopment into a variety of uses.

“However, current challenges such as high interest rates, rising building costs, and uncertainty surrounding Surrey’s devolution plans are impacting the potential of any major projects.

“As a result, the council will focus on maintaining the building to ensure its safety and security, while larger improvements, including asbestos removal, remain on hold.

“We are committed to working with partners like Homes England and other brownfield developers to secure funding for the site and support the building’s future development.”

At the time of the House of Fraser purchase, the building had been fully occupied with all but NatWest having since chosen to vacate the building.

The council says redevelopment “at this time would involve significant cost”.

The council had been under pressure to make a quick decision over whether to pursue the House of Fraser acquisition as a second offer had been received from another prospective purchaser.

According to previously undisclosed documents released by the council, it had been reported that there had been significant positive news around the future of the House of Fraser Group in 2016 following its sale to Sanpower, a Chinese conglomerate, and later announcements that new stores would be opened and the existing network upgraded.

The site as land that has been previously been developed is classed as brownfield and a priority for redevelopment. It accounts for 8.7 per cent of land in England and in 2021/22, more than half of all new homes were built on brownfield land.

Cllr Jonathan Quin

Labour group leader Jonathan Quin (St Michaels) described the decision to shutter the site as “very disappointing”.

He said the administration may not have been responsible for the original decision to acquire the site, but they are now responsible for sorting out the future of the House of Fraser building.

Cllr Quin said: “They should have developed a plan by now.

“Whilst the Conservatives have rightly been punished for poor decision-making and governance, the Liberal Democrats now run Surrey Heath Borough Council.

“They must present some concrete proposals for the good of Surrey Heath rather than coming up with excuses for inaction.”

He added that the council had recently been awarded £1,480,300 through the Brownfield Land Release Fund to support new housing development on the London Road site and that, in his view the council “seems to be to do nothing to the House of Fraser building” unless it gets further assistance.

Cllr Shaun Garrett

Cllr Shaun Garrett (Old Dean), leader of the Conservative group, said: “It is unfortunate that such a landmark building continues to be out of use, and I recognise the challenges the council faces in this situation.

“We sincerely hope that the council will be able to address the asbestos issue promptly, enabling the search for a new tenant to proceed as soon as possible.

“This iconic building holds great potential for redevelopment, and it is crucial that we take the necessary steps to ensure its future use and benefit to the community.”