No retailer will take on Bolton’s M&S site after it closes in April, the borough’s council leader has claimed. The town centre was dealt a body blow in January when the high street giant announced the closure of the 100,000 square foot store on Deansgate.
At a recent scrutiny meeting of Bolton Council, leader Martyn Cox said the authority, who own the building, had been given just an hour’s notice of the closure plans before they were made public. The council have said the store will close in April this year, but no exact date has been provided.
M&S made the decision to pull out of the town despite having a lease on the building until April, 2027, which compels them to continue to pay rent for the site, even if it is vacant. The council secured the freehold to the building in 2019 to enable the wider redevelopment of Crompton Place shopping centre, a project which has yet to significantly progress in terms of building work.
