Wheatsheaf Shopping Centre
The Wheatsheaf Shopping Centre was constructed in 1991/2 in the town centre of Rochdale, with a total floor space of approximately 15,130m2. The complex included retail units, a two-storey library and office accommodation. The centre was home to a mixture of big name and independent retailers, as well as housing offices for Tony Lloyd MP. In the few years leading up to the closure the centre lost numerous key anchor tenants, including, Rymans, Wilko’s, Argos and BrightHouse; with New Look and Select in CVAs and Peacocks in administration, the financial viability of the centre was deemed not to be sustainable. The centre closed during the first Coronavirus lockdown, re-opened in June and then closed again in November because its occupiers were all classed as non-essential retail. Since re-opening after lockdown in June 2020, footfall had been tracking at an average of 45% down year-on-year and the following lockdown will impact these figures further.
During the second lockdown in Winter 2020, the centre closed again and an announcement was made that it would not be re-opening afterwards. It is mostly largely vacant, but there are several tenanted units fronting Yorkshire Street, including British Heart Foundation, H&T Pawn brokers, Craze and Greenwoods, which are income-producing. Willmott Dixon, the contractor working on the Riverside scheme, also occupies the internal loading bay in the centre. Following the closure of the centre, plans have been unveiled to repurpose and expand the retail complex to attract a fresh influx of leisure, commercial and retail uses to complement the £100m Rochdale Riverside retail and leisure scheme, being delivered by council regeneration body the Rochdale Development Agency. Contractor Willmott Dixon was appointed to deliver the second phase of works last month. As we looked around the structure, it was clear that an attempt to at least tidy up the space had been made and several scaffolding towers around the outside of the structure suggest that the building is still being maintained.
