Troubled – and almost empty – Grantham George Centre is back on the market

Present owners Global Invest bought the centre for £2.7 million in April 2017, with plans to transform it into a “hub of quality, independent shops and cafes” and it expected the centre to be “back to full occupation within three years”.

However, the centre remains largely empty with just a handful of tenants remaining.

Speaking to the Journal in early 2018, Nigel Thompson, founder of London-based managing agents X Real Estate, admitted the centre was “half-empty” with some unhappy tenants, and blamed a lack of investment and effective management from previous owners.

In an effort to attract more retailers, they were keen to offer incentive rentals and provide support to businesses, such as flexible leases with the ability to break clauses and hoped to bring more shoppers to Grantham.

But since then, a number of tenants have left the centre due to what they claim as a lack of support with leases.

Teaspoon Tea Company relocated to the High Street last year after five years in The George Centre.

Owner Lance Merryweather, who opened the teashop with wife Pamela in March 2014, told the Journal: “We had three landlords in the time we were in The George Centre, the last one being Autumn Properties based in Jersey, and all were investment companies that had no interest in retail.

“We hope the next owners care about the building and the town to ensure the centre thrives again.”

Feelgood Fitness shocked its customers when the gym went into liquidation in July.

Owner Dave Wright told the Journal at the time: “Due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent lack of rent and service charge relief from the landlord, it is with the deepest regret and sadness that Feelgood Fitness is going into liquidation.”

Portuguese restaurant Sabor Lusitano was also forced to close for good in September after only opening in the centre earlier this year.

Management blamed the impact of the coronavirus and subsequent difficulties with rent as reasons behind the difficult decision.

A spokesperson for the restaurant said: “It is with the deepest regret and sadness that Sabor Lusitano is going into liquidation due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent lack of rent and service charge relief.”

The Juice-e-Vaporium, which opened in The George Centre in 2013, also relocated, moving to premises in Westgate last month.

Kam Gray, who owns the business alongside Deborah Taylor, said: “We were sad to leave as it is such a nice building, but footfall was a big problem and we were unable to secure a lease for the past two years.”

Tropicana Tan, OMX Threading and Heena and Lunettes Opticians still occupy units in the shopping centre, but many still remain empty.

In its former life the shopping centre was the George Hotel. It was once named by Charles Dickens as “one of the best inns in England”.

After staying in the hotel in 1838, the author included the tribute in Nicholas Nickleby. Other well-known visitors to the hotel include Margaret Thatcher.

The hotel closed in 1989 and the building was extended as a shopping centre with 23 shops on the ground floor, together with shops and offices on the first and second floors.

Susan Swinburn, chairman of Grantham Business Club, has fond memories of the centre as a hotel and hopes the sale will mean a brighter future for the iconic building.

She said: “It was a fabulous place when it was a hotel and I am sure many people will have happy memories associated with this building.

“For me it was my first ever Saturday job as a chambermaid and at the time it was very plush and a lovely building to work in. It was such a shame that the hotel was gutted as it had many fabulous internal features including some fabulous fireplaces.

“So much of our town’s traditional architecture has been lost as beautiful buildings have been demolished, which has left us with some unsightly new builds that have not enhanced our town at all, and I feel this has affected the identity of our town.

“The George is a fabulous space and spans the High Street, Westgate and Guildhall Street. Any new owners could be very creative with that prime town centre location.

“I, like many, would urge them to be mindful that whatever is put in there actually stimulates growth, business, culture or tasteful affordable dwellings and interest in our town whilst maintaining what original features we have left of this historic building.

“It’s been heart-wrenching to see how it seems to be run down in terms of occupancy and I know I have spoken to tenants who have felt they had no option but to leave due to the current landlord’s unwillingness to help them maintain their tenancies.

“I am sure how it is now is not the vision the original developers imagined it would be, nor the retailers who put their businesses into the centre only to see a massive decrease in footfall over the last few years.

“It’s going to be very interesting to see how Covid will change the shape of our town’s retail offer. Let’s hope that whatever is planned by the new owners will bring benefits and opportunities to our town going
forward.”

The Journal has made several attempts to contact the current owners, who have so far declined to comment.

• Tell us what you hope the future holds for The George Centre. Email: comment@granthamjournal.co.uk