BOURNEMOUTH’S empty House of Fraser store is under offer from a potential buyer, the Daily Echo can reveal.

The huge building in Old Christchurch Road was on the market before the department store shut in March.

It was thought that plans were afoot for a new use of the site when House of Fraser’s closure was announced.

Grant Cormack, divisional director at Goadsby, joint agent for the site, said: “It’s under offer. It’s moving forward at a reasonable pace.

“Hopefully there will be some positive news to report shortly.”

The building had been marketed since last year by Goadsby and Knight Frank, who were inviting offers of at least £4.95million.

The joint agents had said the premises offered “numerous development and asset management opportunities”.

They said the building – covering 83,384sqft in a basement and five more floors – could be used for residential or student accommodation, a hotel or leisure as well as retail.

The sales brochure also revealed that House of Fraser was paying rent at a rate of five per cent of its turnover.

The store began as Bright’s of Bournemouth in 1871, when Frederick Bright opened haberdashery in the Arcade. He expanded into neighbouring shops and then an adjacent building. The store was known for many years as JJ Allen and then Dingles.

House of Fraser became the last of Bournemouth’s department stores to close when it shut its doors in March, following the loss of Beales in 2020 and Debenhams in 2021.

As previously reported, the Old Christchurch Road building has been highlighted in a national report calling for viable uses to be found for Britain’s department stores.

The report, from Save Britain’s Heritage, praised the revival of the former Debenhams as Bobby & Co, but pointed to the challenge presented by the House of Fraser site.

“It is a bold and expressive building amidst its Victorian neighbours,” the report says.

“However, the structure is in a state of considerable neglect, with leaks and crumbling walls inside and plant growth and rusting casement windows detracting from the outside.”