Furniture retailer is moving into former Beales store in Peterborough

The former Beales store in Peterborough is to get a new lease of life.

Furniture Warehouse has announced that it is to move into the store in the city’s Westgate.

A spokesperson for Furniture Warehouse said that an opening date had not yet been decided and that the new store will create four jobs.

The announcement comes just 10 months after the second closure of the Beales department store following a dispute with Peterborough City Council over a business rates bill.

A spokesman for Furniture Warehouse said: “We have two stores already in Corby and Market Deeping.

"The Market Deeping branch was opened in July and has been incredibly well received, which prompted us to look for other outlets in the area.”

The store forms part of buildings in Westgate earmarked for a £22 million redevelopment to create 125 apartments and commercial units, which secured approval from Peterborough City Council in July although construction work has still to get under way.

The Furniture Warehouse spokesperson said: “It’s a short-term, albeit open-ended agreement whilst the development progresses and we’re taking a large part of the ground floor.

“Renovations are taking place.

“Initially it will create four new jobs but if things go well, we have the option to expand further into the building and employ more staff.”

Beales had occupied two floors of the premises for nine years before the retailer’s collapse into administration in 2020. Its web address and brand were bought in 2021 by New Start 2020 with the new retailer opening in the same building in May with 20 staff.