Colchester: Plans To Redevelop W&G Store Agreed

The Colchester department store Williams & Griffin will be redeveloped after plans were approved last night (Thursday December 13th).

It will be made bigger with part of the building knocked down and re-built.

It will mean part of the front of the building will be re-elevated, while another section will be fitted with a new and "more homogenous frontage" aimed to fit in with the front of the rest of the building.

There has been criticism of the plans from organisations, including the Historic Buildings Forum, wanting to maintain the architecture of the building.

The Council's conservation officer also raised an objection against the proposals stating: "the buildings have been identified by the Council and the community to have pleasing classical detailing that is typical of their date of construction."

£30 million pounds will be spent on the refurbishment.

Hugo Fenwick is a director at the company, he says it will benefit the whole town: "It will very much reinforce Colchester's pre-emminence as the main town centre of the area.

"Once this store is redeveloped it will surely just be a catalyst to redeveloping the High Street as a whole."

Mr Fenwick also said the new frontage of the building would be done sympathetically: "We're redeveloping the lovely Tudor which is on building on the High Street and compared to the 1960s building that is currently there, the new contemporary facade should be a very exciting edition to the High Street."

It is anticipated the increase in size of the store will lead to at least another 30 jobs.