Continuum Secures Planning Consent for Former Wilko Demolition in Stafford

Continuum is delighted to have secured planning consent for the demolition of the former Wilko store in Stafford, marking an important milestone in the ongoing regeneration of Stafford town centre.

Demolition contractors are now on site undertaking soft-strip works and service disconnections, with full demolition due to commence in the coming weeks.

Supporting the Council from Acquisition to Delivery

Continuum has worked closely with Stafford Borough Council throughout the project, providing strategic property, planning and project support from the outset.

Our involvement began with supporting the Council’s acquisition of the building. This included preparing the business case to justify the purchase, acting as the Council’s buying agent, negotiating the Heads of Terms and supporting the transaction through to completion.

Following the acquisition, Continuum continued to advise the Council through the planning process, securing consent for the demolition and helping to oversee the delivery programme.

Shaping What Comes Next

The former Wilko site forms part of the wider Stafford regeneration area. While Continuum has played a key role in supporting the Council with the acquisition and clearance of the site, our work also extends to helping shape what comes next.

Over the past six months, Continuum has worked alongside Arkle Boyce Architects and Stafford Borough Council to prepare the Stafford Development Framework. Building on the regeneration prospectus prepared for UKREiiF 2025, the Framework sets out a clear vision for the future of the town centre regeneration area.

Informed by soft market testing undertaken over the previous 12 months with developers, investors, operators and public sector partners, the Framework brings together emerging ideas into a coordinated masterplan. It establishes development principles, tests appropriate heights and massing, identifies suitable land uses and considers market demand across a number of key opportunity sites, including the former Wilko.

The commission also included detailed viability appraisals and the exploration of alternative delivery models to help ensure the proposals are commercially realistic, deliverable and capable of attracting private sector investment.

A Collaborative Approach

Anthony Pulsford, Associate Director at Continuum, commented:

“This project is a strong demonstration of the breadth of Continuum’s services. From supporting the Council with the justification for acquiring the building and acting as its buying agent, through to overseeing the planning application and demolition programme, we have been involved at every stage.

“It has been a genuinely collaborative process, and we are pleased to have supported Stafford Borough Council in unlocking the potential of this important town centre site.”

Continuum is proud to have helped bring the project to this stage and looks forward to continuing to support the Council as its regeneration plans progress.