Action to find new occupiers for Peterborough's former Ideal World HQ

​Plans have been drawn up to find new occupiers for the former home of TV and internet shopping channel Ideal World.

Planning approval is being sought to allow external storage operations on the large car park adjacent to Ideal World’s former studios, offices and warehouse, in Newark Road, Fengate.

The original planning application in 2001 had forbidden using the car park, which at its peak had provided space for 500 staff, for storage uses.

Now site owners CCLA Investment Managers, of London, are seeking approval from Peterborough City Council to remove the conditions on the car park.

A document submitted with the planning application states: “This is required to support investment in the site by potential future occupiers and bringing the building back into beneficial use.

"The more efficient use of the site coverage through extended external storage will make the site more appealing to a range of likely occupiers, therefore increasing prospects of bringing the building back into beneficial use, with associated social and economic benefits.

"The restriction on the use of external spaces which precludes external storage is not attractive to the market and is prohibitive to future investment in the site.”

Separately, the Ideal World site has been placed on the market for a annual rent of £650,000.

Ideal World collapsed into administration in 2023 with the loss of 275 jobs. The company’s assets were sold to London-based Shop TJC, which is a subsidiary of Vaibhav Global, of India.