Dunelm scraps plans for retailer in Southend’s Royals Procuring Centre

However with the sale of the Royals Procuring Centre nonetheless incomplete, the Echo understands, Dunelm bosses switched their consideration to different attainable websites.

An enormous new Dunelm opened at Basildon’s Mayflower Retail Park in April, and with a store additionally in Chelmsford, a retailer in Southend has been deemed surplus to necessities.

Senior councillors say it’s regrettable as it will have been an asset to the city centre.

Carole Mulroney, Lib Dem councillor accountable for tourism, stated: “I believe it is a nice disgrace, I like Dunelm and store on the Chelmsford retailer.

“The brand new Basildon one is sort of shut however it will have been a really welcome addition right here in Southend.

“It sells nearly all the pieces and in Southend we’re actually missing a retailer like this that promoting an enormous vary of things.

“It will have been good and a complementary addition to different companies and the excessive road.

“I’d be glad if they might rethink the plans and we actually want the Royals Procuring Centre to pursue one other enterprise to take up the unit.”

In Could final 12 months, Dunelm introduced plans have been on maintain because the centre was up on the market.

Primark moved out of the centre final October to its new base on the previous BHS constructing within the Excessive Avenue.

Mrs Mulroney added: “The empty retailer within the procuring centre is simply standing idle.

“It’s regrettable that Dunelm isn’t coming to Southend quickly as it will have been an asset for the city.

“I wish to see one thing performed with the unit on the centre, maybe an enormous agency take it up or separate it up into smaller items.”

A spokesman for Dunelm stated: “We opened our Basildon retailer earlier this 12 months on April 28 on the Mayflower Retail Park. We don’t at the moment have any plans to open one other retailer within the Southend space.”