Former Toys R Us Renovated, Paves Way for Home Bargains That Will Employ 100 Workers

By Moon Harper

Apr 04, 2024 01:23 AM EDT

The old Toys "R" Us in Norwich is finally getting a makeover after sitting empty for years, with A new Home Bargains store to replace it.

Last year, discount retailer Home Bargains received approval from Norwich City Council to open a new store in units A and C of Cathedral Retail Park on Westwick Street. Five years after the toy retailer vacated one of the units, and with the other previously occupied by Peacocks, construction has now begun on the new Home Bargains store.

The retailer is combining the two units and renovating the interiors, citing poor condition in the planning documents submitted to City Hall. Home Bargains has announced that the new store, spanning 4,134 square meters, will employ 100 staff members.

Home Bargains' Initial Delays

The application was initially delayed when Norfolk County Council officials requested Home Bargains install electric vehicle charging points in the on-site parking before starting to work on the store. This request has now been approved.

The county council also requested detailed drawings for off-site highway improvement works, which must be completed before Home Bargains can open. A decision on a license application submitted to the city council is still pending, which would allow Home Bargains to serve food and drinks on the premises between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m. on weekends and bank holidays. According to the plans, approximately 30% of the shop's floor space would be dedicated to food and drink products.

When the units were built in the early 1990s, Home Bargains housed B&Q and Comet. Home Bargains already operates two stores in the city, located on Drayton Road and at the Hall Road Retail Park.

Finishing Touches on The Retail Park

Final touches are being applied to the exterior of new units as part of the expansion of the retail park.

Work began late last year to resume the completion of the extension of Junction Nine Retail Park, which had been halted years ago. When work commenced, the units at the northern end were merely metal shells but are now nearing completion. The roofing has been finished, and the glass installation has been completed, with the cladding work designed to match the rest of the row of shops, which is nearly finished. Additional car parking spaces are now available, accompanied by new tree planting and landscaping. Work was also carried out on two entirely constructed but unoccupied units adjacent to Subway, with permission granted for a change of use to retail and the installation of mezzanine floors.

Documents submitted as part of the application confirm that the units will be occupied by Home Bargains and Poundland, with plans suggesting that the former will also include a café. The current Home Bargains store appears to be relocating further north on the site, though it is unclear what will occupy its current unit.

The plans stated that the applicant has agreed to lease all of the space within phase three to two tenants, subject to the revisions sought by this consent. The application also takes the opportunity to reconfigure the car park layout to improve circulation and address outstanding details such as landscaping. While the main focus of the scheme is to provide floor space for the two tenants in phase three, it ensures that the remaining areas in phase four are correctly aligned for seamless development. Phase three refers to the partially constructed units at the northern end of the row, while phase four pertains to the remaining vacant land at the far north of the site.