Cheltenham House of Fraser and Cavendish House to close

A House of Fraser department store will close along with the 201-year-old building in which it is based.

The owners of Cavendish House in Cheltenham have confirmed the building will shut its doors mid-April.

Local residents and businesses described the closure of the building, which first welcomed shoppers in 1823, as a "great shame".

House of Fraser said it is committed to finding new roles for staff.

Cavendish House opened in 1823 when Cheltenham was a booming tourist destination following visits from King George III and the then Princess Victoria.

The department store took it over 54 years ago after the building had become a popular part of the Promenade.

The department store chain has cut a number of outlets in recent years, including its Cirencester store in 2019.

The BBC understands about 90 House of Fraser staff were told about the closure on 17 January and face losing their jobs.

Signs advertising heavy discounts have appeared in the windows.

Local resident, Martin, told the BBC: "It is a great shame, it seems to be a landmark in Cheltenham. We are new [to Cheltenham], but the times we visited we have always been in there.

"It is a big part of the Promenade. It means so many different things to so many different people."

A local university student said: "I think it is a shame, it has been here for so long. It is like a staple of Cheltenham, everybody knows about it.

"My mum used to work here and my Grandma used to work here as well."

Huffkins café staff member Libby Ashenford said: "It is quite shocking, we have a lot of business from it.

"A lot of customers have expressed how disappointed they are."

Steve Bryson, a trustee of Cheltenham Civic Society, said the imminent closure had sparked ideas of how the town centre might be improved.

"We've seen this on the cards for five years or more now," he said.

"What we've done in the last 18 months is put together a masterplan proposal for this area, because Cheltenham doesn't have one of those and it should do. It needs to have ammunition ready.

"It's going to be a blot on the landscape if it's left empty for any time and we really need to get engaged with both the local council, the landowners and the people of Cheltenham."

Councillor Max Wilkinson, Cheltenham Borough Council's cabinet member for economic development, believes the closure is "bad news" for the town, symbolising a loss of its "story and heritage".

Mr Wilkinson said the building could be expected to become housing, urging the owners of Cavendish House to come forward with a plan soon to prevent the building sitting "empty indefinitely".

He said: "One of the things we are learning is that more people want to live in town centres.

"At the moment, while we have an awful lot of retail space in Cavendish House it is probably not going to be that way in the future.

"While no one would expect it to become a row of houses on the ground level, on the upper floors we can have some houses in there. Maybe some alternative accommodation."

Cheltenham's Conservative MP Alex Chalk said: "My thoughts are with the staff who have given fantastic service to the store and to Cheltenham, and for who this will be a difficult time.

"Looking forward, this is an opportunity to inject new life into the Prom.

"I favour a mixed-use development, with a blend of retail, recreation and quality town centre accommodation. With constant pressure to bulldoze green spaces on the edge of town, this is our chance to meet some of that demand."

A spokesperson for Canada Life Asset Management, the building's investors, said: "While we recognise this may be disappointing for some, it presents an exciting opportunity to reshape Cavendish House for the future.

"We have been working closely and constructively with the borough council on exploring a number of sustainable redevelopment options."

Cheltenham Business Improvement District (BID) has been approached for comment.

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