Local developers formally submitted the Debenhams hotel plan on December 18, 2025, to Worcester City Council, proposing redevelopment of the vacant former Debenhams store into a hotel and commercial space. This comes after nearly five years after the former department store closed in January 2021.
The proposal, filed with Worcester City Council, seeks permission to redevelop the vacant High Street site into a 63-bed hotel with commercial units at ground level. The application was submitted by Nick Carroll Architects and is scheduled for review by the council’s planning committee in the spring.
The proposal matters for local development policy as the former Debenhams site has remained unused since liquidation, contributing to reduced footfall and economic activity in Worcester city center.
What to Know About the Debenhams hotel plan
The Debenhams hotel plan proposes converting the former retail building into a hotel operated by Kula, a hospitality company with existing hotels in the United Kingdom and Australia.
The development would retain and refurbish the current structure while modernizing the exterior, including installing floor-to-ceiling windows.
According to the planning submission, the project is intended to deliver a new landmark building on Worcester High Street while preserving the core framework of the existing site. The aim is to bring the long-vacant property back into active use and support the city’s visitor economy.
In 2022, plans were announced to convert the site into an artisan-style food hall, but the proposal did not proceed after investors withdrew their backing. The new hotel application reflects a shift toward hospitality-led regeneration as local authorities and developers reassess the future of large former retail spaces.
Enforcement and operational impact
If approved, the development would allow construction and refurbishment works to begin following planning conditions set by Worcester City Council. The project would introduce a new hotel operator to the city center and reactivate a high-profile site that has been unused for several years.
Operationally, the hotel would add 63 rooms to Worcester’s accommodation stock and introduce new commercial units at street level, which could attract additional businesses and increase daily activity along High Street.
The Debenhams hotel plan highlights a broader trend in UK town and city centers, where former department stores are being repurposed for mixed-use and hospitality developments. Local planning authorities increasingly view hotels as a means of supporting tourism, boosting overnight stays, and increasing visitor spending.
For cities like Worcester, such developments are often positioned as part of wider economic regeneration strategies aimed at reversing the decline of traditional retail and adapting to changing consumer behavior.
Analysis of similar urban redevelopment trends has been covered by national outlets such as Forbes and The Guardian.
Key takeaways
- A Debenhams hotel plan has been submitted for the former Worcester High Street store that closed in January 2021.
- The proposal includes a 63-bed hotel with ground-floor commercial units.
- Kula is expected to operate the hotel if planning approval is granted.
- Worcester City Council’s planning committee is set to review the application in the spring.
- The project is framed as part of broader efforts to regenerate the city center and support local tourism.
The outcome of the planning decision will determine whether the long-vacant Debenhams site can be brought back into use as a hospitality hub, marking a significant step in Worcester’s ongoing city-center regeneration efforts.
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