Four years after its closure, the iconic Beatties department store in Wolverhampton is undergoing a transformation. MARK ANDREWS gets an exclusive tour of the building ahead of its conversion into flats, revealing the vast emptiness and the potential for a new chapter.
Four years since Beatties closed, MARK ANDREWS takes a tour inside the famous building ahead of it being converted into flats. The bracing wind whistles through the gaps in the famous leaded arched windows, the walls are stripped to the bare brickwork. Only the old signs for the ladies' cloakroom and the employee of the month competition provide a tell-tale about this building's former glories.
It seems incredible to think that little more than four years ago, this vast empty space would have been buzzing to the throng of Christmas shoppers, the tills jangling as people grabbed their last-minute bargains.We're standing on the second floor of the former Beatties department store in Wolverhampton, in what would have been the clothing department until the doors closed at the start of 2021. What a difference a few years make. We're the first media team to be invited inside the famous building by Hiten Raghwani, director of the London-based Eden group which bought the building a year ago, following the collapse of a previous developer.Concerns have been raised - including by Wolverhampton Council - about the amount of time the building has lain empty, but Mr Raghwani insists people will see progress soon. 'We're still carrying out engineering research, but once all that has been completed, we expect to start work in June,' he says. 'It will then be about 24 months before the first phase is completed, and the apartments go onto the market.'Despite his recent clash with Wolverhampton Council - which saw the authority threaten the company with prosecution over the state of the building - Mr Raghwani is full of praise for the speed with which planning permission was granted. 'In London, the process would be six or seven months, but in Wolverhampton it was granted in 28 days,' he says
Beatties Wolverhampton Apartments Renovation Development
United Kingdom Latest News, United Kingdom Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Paddy McGuinness goes inside McColgan's factory for 'Inside The Factory'TV Personality Paddy McGuinness visits McColgan's factory in Strabane, Northern Ireland, to explore the process of making their famous sausage rolls for a new episode of the popular BBC show 'Inside The Factory'.
Read more »
Inside the Chilling World of Inside No. 9: The Theatre of HorrorReece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton’s latest offering takes the anthology series to a new level, exploring the dark side of showbusiness and the human condition within the confines of a haunted theatre.
Read more »
University of Wolverhampton to close Telford campus after 32 years in townThe University of Wolverhampton's Telford campus will close next year, after 32 years in the town.
Read more »
Wolverhampton Wanderers 0 Nottingham Forest 1 LIVE - Gibbs-White gives Reds early leadLive match updates as Nuno Espirito Santo's Nottingham Forest face Wolves in Premier League clash at Molineux
Read more »
Nottingham Forest vs. Wolverhampton Wanderers: Live UpdatesFollow live updates and reaction as Nottingham Forest take on Wolverhampton Wanderers in their first match of 2025.
Read more »
Wolverhampton Wanderers: Club seal £16.6m move for Reims defender Emmanuel AgbadouWolves complete the £16.6m signing of defender Emmanuel Agbadou from Reims on a four-and-a-half year deal.
Read more »