John Lewis is putting its plans for its Brighton store on public display today (Friday 16 September) and tomorrow (Saturday 17 September).
The department store firm has bought the Boots site on the corner of Queen’s Road and Dyke Road, opposite the Clock Tower.
The firm, which also owns Waitrose, is inviting people to see its plans at an exhibition at 133 Queen’s Road from 11am to 8pm today and from 11am to 4pm tomorrow.
The plans include a rooftop terrace café and a blue and green glass frontage.
Andrew Mills, the senior acquisitions and development manager at John Lewis, said: “We have held a long-term ambition to build a new department store in Brighton and we want to hear local people’s views on our proposals.
“We have developed an outline planning application so that we can establish the scale of our new shop.
“We are also sharing sketches showing what the shop could look like and we want to hear what people would like to see in the department store.
“Each of our shops is unique to the city or town in which it sits and our Brighton shop would be no exception.
“We want to hear the views of Brighton and Hove residents to allow us to deliver a shop that is right for the city.”
An outline planning application is expected later this year, followed by a detailed application next year.
No date has been given for the opening of the multimillion-pound store which is expected to employ about 250 staff.
But Boots is not expected to move out before 2018. There have been suggestions that it could occupy the recently closed BHS premises in nearby Churchill Square but The company is not saying anything publicly at this stage.
Makes complete sense for a quick move for Boots to the old BHS store. I don’t know the actual sizes of each shop, but they ‘feel’ about the same and I can’t imagine the rent would be that different for each location.
That way an empty store is filled and progress on John Lewis can begin asap.
Is there anything anyone can do to speed this up?
If they are the same, why doesn’t JL just go into the old BHS?
Boots have already sounded out the relevant parties for taking over the BHS unit.
Drawings being prepared behind the scenes, but as will al things this won’t be rushed, so they probably wouldn’t be relocated until late 2017 early 2018
Yehhhhhhhhh
Hope that if Boot’s move to Churchill Square that they will take responsibility for keeping the frontage clean, the current frontage to Boot’s is a disgrace always dirty and litttered.
Hip hip hurray I’ve been praying for a john Lewis store to come to brighton it is much needed especially since they closed down hanningtons and the coop London rd and now British home stores. Debenhams is full of other shops. John Lewis is the best
I have lived outside Brighton for over 30 years and this is one of the best bits of news I have heard for the city in that time. My pray’s are answered. hope it as everything like the West-End. JOHN LEWIS is the best open as soon a possible Please.
I moved to eastbourne from watford 16 years ago possibly the only thing wrong was I had never not had John Lewis to shop in I’m so pleased I shall soon be able to pop into that shop easily again