M&S could return to city in Banks's site - council

Marks & Spencer could return to Wolverhampton after its city centre store shuts next month at the Banks's Brewery site, the leader of the city council says.

Stephen Simkins said after the "devastating blow" of the brewery announcing its closure this autumn after 150 years, the site could become a food hall for the retail giant if negotiations work out.

The store is to shut on 27 September as the chain moves towards reducing the number of shops selling food, clothing and homeware from 247 to 180 and opening 104 new food stores.

The council leader addressed several issues while he was in the "hot seat" with BBC Radio WM's Ed James on Thursday, including an expected rise in council tax.

Carlsberg Marston's Brewing Company (CMBC) said last year that it would be closing Banks's Brewery in Wolverhampton - a presence in the city for 150 years - during autumn 2025 as part of a restructuring process.

The M&S store was put at risk of closure in June.

Mr Simkins said he had been in "direct talks" with M&S directors when the company approached the council to say it wanted to leave the premises on Dudley Street, which was no longer "fit for purpose".

"They don't want to leave the city - they're moving their national operation and delivery from clothing to food halls, and there's not a big enough space in Wolverhampton to put the food hall that they want.

"Now [from] a sad thing, there could be a positive.

"Banks's Brewery has decided to shut, which is a travesty to the city... and that's a huge site, so there could be potential for M&S to come back.

"We don't know, to be fair - there's always a future, there's always a positive, a potential for it. It depends on the negotiations we will broker with Carlsberg and M&S."

Referring to empty shops, he said the council was aiming to adopt "a boulevard culture" in the city centre with several regeneration projects under way, but empty high streets were "a national issue".

The council had no powers over shops closing adding, "all we can do is create a stimulus in the market for people to come in and develop it".

Addressing council debt, which was revealed this week to have risen by £103m in the last 12 months to £879m, Mr Simkins said he expected council tax to rise.

"If I raise council tax by 1%, it gives an extra £1m to put back into services... the assumption is yes [it will go up]."

He said the cost of children's social care was costing authorities £30,000 per week per child, and the cost was so high because the market was unregulated, which he said had to change.

"We're talking about children who deserve the best chance in life irrespective of the cost - that's the practical cost of it."

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