Potential opening dates revealed for new Iceland Food Warehouse in Peterborough - as pictures show how store could look

The Peterborough Telegraph revealed yesterday that Iceland has signed a lease to move into the former Toys R Us store in Bourges Boulevard, alongside Home Bargains.
A different Iceland Food WarehouseA different Iceland Food Warehouse
A different Iceland Food Warehouse

The deal will go ahead should planning permission be granted by Peterborough City Council.

Iceland is planning to open a Food Warehouse which is bigger than its traditional stores and allows customers to buy products in bulk.

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Food Warehouses have only been operating since 2014, although more than 100 are now open including one at Ortongate Shopping Centre.

A different Iceland Food WarehouseA different Iceland Food Warehouse
A different Iceland Food Warehouse

Iceland also has smaller stores in Rivergate, Lincoln Road (Millfield) and the Bretton Centre.

Asked by the PT about when the new Food Warehouse would open, subject to planning permission, an Iceland spokesman said today (Tuesday): “We have indeed made a planning application to open a new Food Warehouse store on the former Toys R Us site in Peterborough.

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“Assuming that all necessary planning and licensing approvals are received, we would expect the store to open in the late spring or early summer of 2020.

A different Iceland Food WarehouseA different Iceland Food Warehouse
A different Iceland Food Warehouse

“The Food Warehouse is our larger store concept, begun with a single store in Trent Vale in September 2014 and now numbering well over 100 across the UK. We are continuing to open these stores at the rate of approximately 30 per annum.”

Toys R Us went into administration in February 2018, and in April this year a huge blaze ravaged the site.

Shortly before the fire Home Bargains had submitted its own plans for a discount shop at the premises, and now a deal has been agreed for Iceland to move in as well.

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Home Bargains is the trading name of TJ Morris which owns the freehold of the former Toys R Us store.

In a new planning application submitted to Peterborough City Council it states: “Iceland is looking to strengthen their existing representation in Peterborough.

“Contracts have now been exchanged between Iceland and TJM, and the completion of the Agreement for Lease is on a subject to planning basis.”

The new store would create 20 to 25 permanent jobs, the application states.

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The Peterborough Telegraph revealed the plans for the city’s first Home Bargains store in May. However, TJ Morris declined to comment when asked when it would open and how many jobs would be created.

The fire at Toys R Us started late on Monday, April 22 when police were forced to close the road for several hours while firefighters from 12 different stations tackled the flames.

No-one was hut in the incident, but the flames and smoke could be seen for miles across the city.

A Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue spokesperson said there was no evidence the blaze had been started deliberately.