England’s ‘saddest shopping centre’ will finally be torn down after 36 years – taking Home Bargains down with it

PLANS to demolish a near-abandoned UK shopping centre have been officially approved. The move will make way for a mixed-use residential, retail, and leisure scheme at the site. Riverside Shopping Centre in Evesham, Worcestershire is set to be demolished Credit: Alamy Only one retailer remains at the site, which will be knocked down to make way for a mixed-use project Credit: Alamy Riverside Shopping Centre in Evesham, Worcestershire is set to be bulldozed after a unanimous vote by Wychavon District Council’s planning committee. Built in 1988, the retail site features more than 40 units, almost all of which are now vacant, earning it the title of Britain’s “saddest shopping centre”. Sign up for the Money newsletter Thank you! The site’s last remaining tenant, Home Bargains, has already been given a notice to vacate, aling with the telecoms firm which operates a mast on the roof. Riverside is now earmarked for a mixed-use project, with Councillor Emma Kearsey, deputy leader and the cabinet member responsible for planning, discussing potential plans for the site. “I’m very confident we’ll be doing this extremely diligently, for the people of Evesham,” she said. The demolition will also see the site’s six-storey car park knocked down. Kearsey said: “We are most certainly doing it properly – this site is extremely important from a historical perspective.” Rebecca Buckley, the council’s site delivery lead, said demolition work was expected to start in April 2027 and estimated the work would take about a year. Most read in Money “The intention is not for that area to remain vacant – this is part of a clear vision for Wychavon to redevelop that site,” she said. “We’re working at pace and this site is not going to be left vacant in planning terms, [a new development] will come forward quickly.” Comment now