Work underway to restore eyesore former Morecambe department store

In April we reported that a contractor had been appointed by Lancaster City Council to help bring the former department store in Morecambe back to life.

Centenary House, the former Co-op department store on Regent Road, has been largely vacant since the mid-1990s.

Bought by the city council as part of the West End masterplan, the intention is to refurbish the building’s upper floors to provide affordable housing and accommodation for local arts businesses, retaining the Co-Op late shop that occupies one-half of the ground floor.

As the building suffers from a number of expensive constraints that add cost and complexity to the challenge of bringing it back into use, the plans have stalled in recent times.

Works now underway at Centenary House include asbestos removal, soft strip, invasive surveys, structural repairs and other repairs to the superstructure to ensure the building is safe.

A spokesperson for Lancaster City Council said: “Once all the remedial work and surveys are complete, the council will be in a much better position to understand the building’s potential as a high-quality affordable housing scheme on the upper floors (number of flats still to be determined) and the type of commercial use which would be of the greatest benefit to the local community on the ground floor.

“Plans for future use of the building will then need to be developed, costed and assessed for viability before planning permission is sought for its refurbishment.”