A huge former Marks & Spencer store in Northampton has been flattened after sitting empty for nearly a decade, clearing the way for a major town centre regeneration project. The megastore, along with a former British Home Stores (BHS) site, was demolished in a £2million project carried out by deconstruction firm Colemans. Work began in September 2025 and has now been completed.
Challenges and Milestones
The demolition involved the removal of asbestos from both buildings, adding complexity to the project. West Northamptonshire Council plans to use the cleared area as part of a £9.7million development to build new retail and leisure spaces in the centre of Northampton. Plans for more than 200 build-to-rent homes are also in the works.
The completion of the demolition has been hailed as a “significant milestone” for the East Midlands town. A Colemans spokesperson said the team worked hard to deliver the project “safely, efficiently and with minimal disruption,” according to The Sun.
Council and Community Impact
Kamala Guliyeva, Reform councillor and cabinet member for local economy, culture and leisure at West Northamptonshire Council, stated: “The completion of these demolition works is a significant milestone for Northampton town centre. It represents real progress in transforming this key area and creating new opportunities for residents, businesses and visitors.” She added: “We are committed to bringing forward high-quality development that supports our local economy and helps breathe new life into the town centre, and this work lays the foundations for that next chapter.”
History of the Site
The site has been empty since M&S closed in 2018 and BHS shut two years earlier, in 2016. Marks & Spencer closed 27 stores in 2025 and an additional 14 in the first half of 2026, as part of a broader company strategy launched in 2022 to reduce its full-line stores from 247 to 180 by 2028. Notable closures include flagship branches like Wolverhampton in September 2025 and the Riverside Retail Park in Warrington last month.
BHS, founded in 1928, was one of the UK’s largest high-street department store chains. After entering administration and closing its final 22 stores in 2016, the brand was revived as an online-only retailer. As of June 2025, it operates one final surviving physical location in Doha, Qatar.
