Work to start on new H&M in Vancouver Quarter in King’s Lynn

The former Beales store, which is being redeveloped. Picture: Ian Burt

West Norfolk council has agreed to take a 250-year lease on the former Beales department store on pedestrianised New Conduit Street, in the Vancouver Quarter shopping centre.

It says the deal has cleared the way for work to start on the site, which has stood empty since it closed with the loss of 40 jobs last summer.

As the EDP revealed in June, the revamped store will be taken on by high street fashion chain H&M, which hopes to open next July or August.

There will also be four other shops in the development, which the council says will attract new retailers and improve the general environment and streetscape along New Conduit Street.

Alistair Beales, West Norfolk council's portfolio holder for corporate projects and assets, said: 'We are excited to be supporting the development of the Vancouver Quarter.

'It will be the catalyst to regenerate this part of the town centre building on our investments in the bus station, car parks and heritage assets.

'An improved shopping offer will make a real difference to King's Lynn in terms of its vibrancy and offering visitors and local residents even more reasons to visit regularly.'

Work is expected to begin in the next couple of weeks, although local contractor Chalcroft has already started setting up the compound and undertaking preparatory work, including putting up hoardings around the site.

The property, in Broad Street, traded as an Anglia Co-operative Westgate department store for almost 30 years before it became one of 19 Westgates across the region which were sold to Beales in 2011.

It will be H&M's third store to open in Norfolk, with two branches already trading in Norwich. It has not yet been revealed how many jobs the redevelopment will create when the new store is complete.