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Peacocks and Bonmarché look set to fill the former Poundland on Bridge Street in Stratford. Drawings in a sign application to Stratford-on-Avon District Council show the empty shop at 6–7 Bridge Street with two new black fascias, one for each brand. The building’s owner, Equorium Property Co. Ltd, applied in August, and the council is due to decide by 5 November.
What the plans show
The large double-fronted shop, next door to Sainsbury’s Local and opposite Marks & Spencer, was Woolworths for many years before it became Poundland. Two applications have been lodged:
- Signs (26/02049/ADV): the drawing, titled “Proposed Peacocks & Bonmarche”, replaces Poundland’s single long fascia with two. “Bonmarché” would sit on the left, over about 4.7 metres, and “Peacocks” on the right, over about 7.1 metres. Both would have white letters on a black timber fascia, lit from above by an LED trough light.
- Shopfront (26/02048/FUL): the double doors on the left of the front would be taken out and replaced with a new aluminium shopfront and stallriser, to match the rest of the frontage.
Peacocks sells value fashion for all the family, and Bonmarché sells womenswear. The drawing carries both companies’ head office addresses, in Cardiff and Carlisle.
The case for the new signs
The building isn’t listed, but it is in Stratford’s conservation area, so the council asked for a heritage statement. The applicant’s statement says Poundland’s sign made “a long horizontal band” across the frontage. Splitting it into two traditional painted fascias with lighting from above would suit the street better, it argues.
Stratford-upon-Avon Town Council replied “no representation” on 23 September. No public comments had been posted on the sign application when we checked on 17 October.
What we don’t know yet
Neither retailer has announced a Stratford opening, and the plans don’t give a date. They cover only the ground-floor shop and its front, not the building’s upper floors. We’ve added 6–7 Bridge Street to our property watch list and will update this story when the council decides or the shops confirm an opening.
What happens next
- Decision: the council’s target date is 5 November for both applications.
- See the plans: the drawings and heritage statement are on the sign application; the formal comment period ended on 15 October.
We reported on the building’s sale earlier this year. Keep track of other applications near you with our Planning near me map, or see more Stratford business news.
Alex Harrington
Alex Harrington grew up in Stratford-upon-Avon and runs What's up, Stratford? as an independent guide to the town.
