A public session exhibition on the Forum noticed builders showcase their proposals to replace the previous division retailer with a brand new constructing.
Stanford Real Estate wants to knock down all but the basement and ground floor of the present constructing, as a part of a serious redevelopment of town centre website.
The builders need to assemble a brand new constructing, with new outlets on the primary two flooring and 400 pupil flats on the opposite flooring.
“Something has to be done because it’s an eyesore,” stated former architect Richard Pennington.
“But regardless that there is perhaps a necessity for pupil lodging, we additionally want extra reasonably priced housing.
“The flooring plan is extraordinarily miserable as a result of I do not know the way you will give you the chance to match furnishings in.
“And a metre-wide hall means site visitors might be dreadful.
“But something has to happen because it can’t stay this way.”
The empty website housed Debenhams till the department store shut three years in the past.
The new constructing could be divided into totally different sections – with numerous factors various in height, however at its tallest, it could be three storeys greater than the present, six flooring constructing.
“I’ve got no objection,” stated Steve Barker.
“The new constructing is not what I might name imaginative structure.
“And there’s a fear that we may find yourself with homes wanting very comparable.
“But Debenhams has been closed for a number of years and it’s nice to see plans to bring the site back into use.”
Ben Burgess, of planning consultants Lanpro, and Mark Doohan, of Benchmark Architecture, stated the exhibition had acquired a mix of optimistic and damaging suggestions.
“There’s been a steady flow of people coming in,” stated Mr Doohan.
“Surprisingly there hasn’t been an enormous objection to the lack of the constructing.
“But folks have raised issues over reasonably priced housing.
“But overall there has been a relatively positive reaction to the designs.”
An official planning software for the mission is anticipated to submitted this summer season.
