Jolly expensive?

I like to occasionally take a look at the planning application list that B&NES councillors will consider.

I see Jolly’s has popped up again. This time to give the council – who are the landlords – permission to carry out some re-wiring. It’s backroom stuff, as the public retail spaces were updated in 2010.

It’s further evidence that the council don’t want another massive empty property on a main street. Especially in an area they are touting as the ‘Milsom Quarter’ which will have the new Fashion Museum as its flagship building.

Word is they are already in talks with an independent department store who would obviously want the place spruced up before they move in.

Sprucing the place up may turn out to be rather expensive. After the store officially closes next month, look out for the massive scaffolding that will be erected around the building. I would imagine the roof needs attention.

Maybe a million pounds worth of work. Maybe much more? Councillors remain tight-lipped at present.

Am adding to this story now with a comment from Malcolm – a follower of my blog who is currently in Bruges.

He writes: Some interesting observations on Jollys and the Milsom Quarter Project in your recent Newseum.

Unless there is a dialogue taking place with one of three ‘high-end’ department store companies, one should perhaps recognise that the conventional department store sector is probably only in inevitable decline.

Maybe a better solution for in particular Jollys, within the vitally important context of the Milsom Quarter Project, would be to target a small group of key brand fashion retailers to locate as separate units across the Jollys frontage ……. retailers who might have the correct quality of brand recognition and customer attraction.

Massimo Dutti part of the Zara stable of brands, for example, appears enthusiastic about occupying historic retail premises (see image of their two-floor premises in Bruges) and there are a number of other examples such as in Florence where the Zara Group have imaginatively also occupied listed retail premises.

Why not talk to specifically targeted brands for a multi-retail solution in Jollys occupied with the likes of Massimo Dutti, Mango, Sephora and even Flannels remaining and/or Next moved to a more prestigious retail location like Milsom Street?

Do we have any lateral thinking working on this really important location within the pivotal centre of the Milsom Quarter Project?”