Future of House of Fraser building in Cotswolds town confirmed

A former House of Fraser store in Gloucestershire is set to get a new lease of life with confirmation from a council thanks to new allocations of funding. Social community enterprise the Grace Network already confirmed to Gloucestershire Live in September 2023 that it will be involved in changing the ex-department store in Market Place, Cirencester.

Easter 2024 is the target opening time as Cotswold District Council have announced that thanks to an allocation of £296,450 to seven local projects from the UK government’s Levelling Up agenda, the Grace Network will get £75,000. The council say the latest round of funding from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) will be repurposed into a social enterprise department store, estimated to create around 50 new jobs.

Setting it up as a charitable community benefit society, the Long Table at Brimscombe Mill is one brand created by the Grace Network. Founder Tom Herbert, one of the Fabulous Barker Brothers, who had a TV series in 2013, has ambition to reshape the Cotswolds economy and build-up the community.

Main: the House of Fraser store in Market Place, Cirencester pictured in 2018. The building will become a social community enterprise with Tom Herbert (inset), founder of The Long Table involved in plans for the building.

Cllr Tony Dale, cabinet member for the economy and council transformation at Cotswold District Council, said: “We’re already seeing what a difference the UK Shared Prosperity Fund is having in the community here in the Cotswold district after the first year of funding and I’m please we’ve agreed the projects for the final year of funding.

“For 2024/25 we will be working closely with the County Council, Cotswold Tourism, Bromford Housing and many other organisations who we will be supporting with this fund. They all have great projects lined up and I’m looking forward to seeing them come to life.”

Other projects that will get funding include Cotswold Tourism for their website and Help to Thrive project (£12,000 and £19,450) and the Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group South West’s Zerodig Project (£15,000).

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