'Pink' Harrods gets green light to open in Chester despite heritage fears

Harrods has been given the green light to open a store in Chester. The upmarket retailer wants to create a “go-to, luxury beauty destination” and council chiefs have been quick to embrace the plans.

An estimated 70 jobs will be created by the development in the historic former Browns of Chester in Eastgate Row. Cheshire West and Chester (CWaC) Council believe the high-end store will serve as a “retail anchor” and underpin the city’s economic regeneration.

Harrods’ H Beauty stores offer luxury products, treatments and workshops for skincare, make-up, fragrance and hairstyling – it is not a department store like the one in London, though a “Champagne Bar” is also proposed. Launched in September 2020, the brand already has a presence in Essex, Milton Keynes, Edinburgh, Newcastle and Bristol.

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Plans to expand the line-up to include Chester were submitted CWaC Council in mid December. Concerns were subsequently raised over the scheme’s heritage impact on the site’s two listed buildings. But in a report to council, planning officer Lyndsay Shinner said these negatives were outweighed by the potential pluses.

She said there was significant public benefit in reopening a large retail site in a prime city centre location – it’s sat empty since 2021 following the collapse of the Debenham’s chain. The plan is to utilise floor space at Row level only – not the site’s upper floors or medieval crypt. This floor space will be divided up into “boutique” units and it’s been claimed that these have been taken already.

Ms Shinner said: “It is acknowledged that there would be economic incentives to the city by hosting an international brand which could act as a retail anchor to support key economic regeneration objectives. The public benefit is clear and convincing and outweighs the low degree of less-than-substantial harm identified to the significance of the heritage asset.”

Heritage concerns centred on the site’s four large and ornate ceiling roundels, some of which were damaged in previous shop refits. Harrods plans to cover up two of these roundels with a false ceiling, citing fire safety issues. Historic staircases are also to be screened off. Join the North Wales Live Whatsapp community now

The internal re-fit will be extensive but will not affect the building’s historic fabric, said CWaC Council. It agreed that covering up the historic ceiling features was “regrettable” but said this, in this case, it was “acceptable”. It will also “ensure their long-term preservation”.

Lighting from signage and shop windows fronting onto the historic Rows was another bone of contention: it was feared this would compromise the proposed illumination of the site’s two facades - one is a Georgian-fronted building with Grade II listing, the other in a neo-gothic style is Grade I-listed.

In planning documents, the store's lighting is shown as pink. This is the signature colour of the brand's other outlets, all of which feature a giant teddy bear near their main entrances.

Ms Shinner said this concern has now been allayed. “The applicant has confirmed that, outside of store trading time, the illuminated signage and window lighting displays can be connected to a timing system to reduce the brightness by 50%,” she said.

“This is welcomed and helps reduce the prominence of illuminated signage and lighting schemes on the listed buildings during the evening and nighttime which could detract from the proposed architectural lighting scheme.”

External works will include repairs to the roof along with renovation of the two facades to address their “neglect”. The precise nature of these still need to be agreed by the council.

Harrods’ proposed champagne bar/cafe is considered an ancillary element to the main retail scheme. As it won’t open in the evenings, it doesn’t require separate permissions to go ahead.

Ms Shinner concluded: “Considerable importance and weight has been given to the desirability of preserving the heritage assets and the special architectural or historic interest which the listed buildings possess. Clear and convincing justification has been provided in the form of public benefit to outweigh the low degree of less-than-substantial harm identified.

“The proposal therefore accords with the statutory requirements and policy provisions as set out above in this regard.” Sign up for the North Wales Live newsletter sent twice daily to your inbox

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