Fenland Council expects the former Barclays Bank in Broad Street, March, to be demolished next year but it could be some years before anything is built there to replace it. Although the council is drawing up plans for demolition this won’t happen until Octavius, who are now completing the Broad Street regeneration, have built new public conveniences.
Work on these is expected to begin in the new year.
“The bank will continue to be used as a site office by Octavius as part of the completion / snagging phase of the main Broad Street project,” says a report to cabinet.
“Following this the site will be made available as the site office / compound during the construction of the new toilet block in Q1 2025.”
“Upon completion of all works the current building will, subject to planning approval, be demolished and the site left cleared with a compacted hardstanding finish and close board fencing to all boundaries.”
The council bought the former bank for £750,000 in 2023 after Barclays moved out two years earlier.
The funding for the acquisition came from a £1.7million pot originally allocated from the Future High Streets Fund grant for the proposed Acre Road redevelopment, which was deemed unviable following preliminary work.
Fenland Council officers are currently drafting the planning application to allow for the demolition of the former Barclays Bank at 2 Broad Street, MarchBut residents will not see an immediate transformation of the site since Fenland Council will want to see detailed proposals from any prospective buyer.
“The site is in a prominent position and offers an opportunity for FDC to secure the removal of the existing brutalist design building and secure its replacement with a mixed commercial / retail unit more in keeping with the conservation area and its siting at the main entrance to Broad Street from the south,” says the cabinet report.
“Any redevelopment should be seen to complement the wider March High Street regeneration proposals and thus control of process via FDC and the established planning process is seen as essential.”
The report adds: “The former Barclays bank building was acquired as part of the overall aims of the scheme utilising grant funding made available by the CLG Future High Street Fund.
“Although the building is in a prominent location in the centre of March, it is felt that a demolition and new build would provide a higher quality product more in keeping with the town centre-built environment and its designation as a conservation area.”
Officers are currently drafting the planning application to allow for the demolition, and it is hoped this will be submitted shortly
Temporary loos have been erected in the car park of the former Barclays bank in Broad Street, March. Fenland Council bought the former bank – and the car park – earlier this year.“The site will then be marketed for sale as a mixed used commercial and residential development scheme with details to be approved by the March High Street Steering Group and subject to the normal planning process for a site in a conservation area.,” says the report.
“It is proposed that the site will be available for sale in autumn 2025.”
The council believes “the proposed site clearance and demolition will allow for a full disposal programme to be undertaken with the hope that this will attract a range of interested parties who will be able to bring forth designs that complement the current surrounds”.
The council says is considered commissioning a design to allow for the submission of a detailed planning consent for the site, a detailed consent being required due the site’ location within the conservation area.
“The option including an initial proposal was discussed with both officers the March High Street Steering Group, conservation officer and local developers,” says the report to cabinet.
“These discussions highlighted that the prescriptive nature of a full application would be time consuming and costly to FDC and would not guarantee a scheme that would be supported by market demand.
Fenland Council officers are currently drafting the planning application to allow for the demolition of the former Barclays Bank at 2 Broad Street, March“It is for this reason that the original proposals were shelved. There are no specific legal implications connected with the recommendations comprised within this report however, the sale will be subject to s.123 of the Local Government Act 1972 which requires that the sale be for the best price reasonably obtainable.
“Whilst the level of the final capital receipt is not yet known it should be noted that any capital receipt received by FDC will be retained within the authority’s control as the acquisition and demolition are funded by grant monies with no requirement in the funding agreement to return capital receipts.”
