Marks and Spencer has said the Marks and Spencer Thurmaston closure will be permanent after fire damage at the store in Thurmaston Shopping Centre in Barkby Thorpe Lane. Laura Arnold said the company had assessed the extent of the damage before deciding not to reopen the site.
The store had been part of the centre for 16 years. M&S said it would work with its other stores in Leicestershire to redeploy workers where possible, giving staff at the former food store the clearest immediate next step after the shutdown.
Brenda Seaton On Thurmaston
Brenda Seaton called the closure “very disappointing news” and said the store was loved by the community. She also said, “They were nearly all local people that we knew and they'd been there for years.”
Seaton added, “We need to start building confidence back up into Thurmaston Shopping Centre.” Her remarks point to the wider task left after the fire: restoring confidence in a centre where several units remain closed.
Damage At Thurmaston Shopping Centre
Much of Thurmaston Shopping Centre was demolished after a fire that started at about 04:00 BST on 20 June. More than 40 firefighters were called to the blaze. The damaged section also contained Greggs, Mountain Warehouse, cardfactory and Claire's.
Those other shops remain closed and have yet to say whether they plan to reopen. Three 13-year-old boys were arrested on suspicion of arson and remained on bail, leaving the fire inquiry tied to the same site that has now lost its M&S anchor for good.
Marks and Spencer Workers
For workers, the immediate issue is redeployment rather than a return to the same shop. For shoppers, the key gap is whether Marks and Spencer will open a new store in the area after ending this one; the company has said only that it hopes to do so in the future.
That leaves Thurmaston with a permanent closure at one of its longest-running stores, damaged neighbouring units still shut, and no announced plan for a replacement location.
