Bristol’s former Marks and Spencer store to be reopened

The closed Marks and Spencer store in Broadmead is set to become a temporary arts and sustainability hub until the landmark site is redeveloped.

Called Sparks Bristol, it will be created by Global Goals Centre and Artspace Lifespace, who say the idea is to open a ‘vibrant, positive venue where local people and visitors can shop, recycle, and explore what a greener, fairer and creative future could look like’. They add that Sparks Bristol will breathe new life into the old M&S building on a ‘meanwhile use’ basis until the site is redeveloped.

The building will be used as a hub for local artists including an artist research and development space, as well as a reuse shop providing recycled goods, repair, and education projects for schools. There will be installations, stalls and workshops to demonstrate how to take easy (and often money-saving) actions on climate, equality and wellbeing.

The M&S store closed on January 8, and was one of the company’s 30 shops set to close over the next decade as parts of plans created in response to a pre-tax loss of £201.2m for the firm in 2020/21.

Artspace Lifespace company manager Kathryn Chiswell Jones said: “We are feeling really inspired by our upcoming partnership with Global Goals Centre and the opportunity to showcase tangible, positive alternatives, a centre where people can come to dream, learn practical tools and collectively devise a greener, fairer and more creative future for everyone.”

Global Goals Centre Project Lead Jenny Foster said: “This is a unique opportunity to bring together organisations and individuals from across the city to pilot new ways in which the heart of Bristol could change to better serve our community and address the climate, ecological and cost of living crises.”

Mayor Marvin Rees said: “Since the store closed earlier this year we have been working hard to find an appropriate meanwhile use for the old M&S building until a longer-term plan is ready.

“Artspace Lifespace and the Global Goals Centre are two great local organisations and I’m glad that they’ll be putting both arts and sustainability at the heart of re-animating the space. I look forward to seeing the new hub open from April next year.”

Following the closure of the M&S, the closest store is now Broadmead. The nearest food store is at Avonmeads.

The news of the re-use of the site comes following the takeover of the former Debenhams store opposite. With new owners in place, its not yet clear what the plans for the former department store are, however clues have been dropped that it could be destined for a mixed use development.