The House of Fraser building in Camberley will remain vacant due to high refurbishment costs, leaving the council to seek new development options.
Camberley: The House of Fraser building is going to be mothballed. It’s a real bummer, but the council says refurbishing it is just too pricey. They bought the place back in 2016, hoping to turn it into something great. But now, it’s just going to sit empty.
The council can’t afford the needed repairs, especially with that pesky asbestos in the roof. They’re looking to team up with Homes England or other developers to figure out what to do next. It’s a tough spot since fixing the roof alone would cost around £3.5 million.
Surrey Heath Borough Council’s leader, Councillor Shaun Macdonald, mentioned that the building has a lot of potential. But with rising costs and interest rates, it’s hard to make any big plans right now. They’re focusing on keeping the building safe while waiting for better times.
When they bought the House of Fraser, it was fully occupied. Now, only NatWest is left, and the council feels that any redevelopment would be a costly venture. They had to act fast back then because another buyer was interested.
Back in 2016, there was some buzz about the House of Fraser Group’s future after it was sold to a Chinese company. But now, things have changed, and the council is feeling the heat to come up with a plan.
Councillor Jonathan Quin expressed disappointment over the decision to mothball the site. He believes the current council should have a solid plan by now. He pointed out that the previous administration made the original purchase decision, but it’s up to the current leaders to sort things out.
He also mentioned that the council recently got a nice chunk of change to support housing development nearby. But it seems they’re not doing much with the House of Fraser building unless they get more help.
On the other hand, Councillor Shaun Garrett from the Conservative group said it’s unfortunate that such a landmark is still unused. He hopes the council can tackle the asbestos issue quickly so they can find a new tenant soon. He believes the building has great potential and needs to be put to good use for the community.
