Westfield’s House of Fraser site to become offices

By Owen Sheppard, Local Democracy Reporter

The giant House of Fraser at the Westfield Shopping Centre in Shepherd’s Bush will be turned into offices.

A planning application by the centre’s owners, Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, was approved by Hammersmith and Fulham council’s planning committee on July 21.

It comes after Debenhams permanently moved out of the 12-year-old shopping centre in April.

Under the plans, about two-thirds of House of Fraser’s shop floor space will be turned into offices – an area nearly as big as a football pitch.

Some of the area will become two separate retail units that will face the inside of the centre. The office entrance will front on to ‘Eat Street’, by Shepherd’s Bush Tube station.

A small section of the office space, which covers three storeys, will also be let at a 35 per cent discount to entice start-up companies.

House of Fraser is owned by billionaire Mike Ashley’s Sports Direct, and it was reported in the Mail on Sunday that Debenhams has been put up for sale.

The plans would not change the external structure of the centre and the company has agreed that 33 jobs will go to residents from the borough.