The building, which was once home to a 80,000-square-ft Marks & Spencer store, will be knocked down and an MP is worried the city centre could become a “derelict wasteland”
An abandoned M&S store in a major UK city is set to be demolished.
The building, which was once home to a 80,000-square-ft Marks & Spencer store, will be knocked down. The former store in the heart of Aberdeen closed in spring 2025 after decades of serving the Scottish city.
The department store in St Nicholas Square shut down after M&S invested £15million in revamping Aberdeen’s Union Square branch in a bid to “make it one of the best in Scotland”.
After the closure, Aberdeen City Council members hoped to find a new use for the space.
It has now been confirmed that the landmark building will be torn down.
An M&S spokesperson told the Press and Journal: “We can confirm that a pre-application for the proposed demolition of the closed St Nicholas Street store was submitted to Aberdeen City Council last month.
“Subject to approval, we will engage with the community and key stakeholders on the proposed plans.”
The Tory MSP for the North East of Scotland, Liam Kerr said, has concerns that Aberdeen’s city centre could become a “wasteland”.
“This decision highlights the huge difficulties in finding tenants to fill multi-storey buildings of this size, which in the case of the old M&S, have become a haven for vandalism and antisocial behaviour,” Kerr said.
“The depressing sight of businesses closing then knocking down buildings to save money on extortionate rates and energy costs should act as a wake-up call for ministers, both in Holyrood and at Westminster.
“We cannot allow any part of our city centre to become derelict wasteland, which is why the council must urgently work with M&S to ensure this land is immediately brought back into use if demolition is granted.”
