Plans lodged to build huge bowling alley and bar in one of Milton Keynes shopping centre's largest stores

One of the city’s centre’s most flagship stores is the subject of a planning application to build a large bowling alley and bar.

A planning application has been lodged for the basement area of NEXT Home & Beauty, the former Debenhams store in Midsummer Place.

Council documents state the applicants are intu Milton Keynes Limited (c/o Ellandi LLP).

They are seeking change of use planning permission from retail to leisure for 3,709 sq metre in the basement of the store.

The basement would become a bowling alley with “associated bar and dining facilities”, the documents state.

So far there has been no objections to the plan. The single response comes from the council’s own highways development manager, who states: “ Given the city centre location with access to public transport, walking and cycling accessibility as well as large numbers of public car parking spaces the proposed change of use will not have any significant impact on the public highway.

“I have no objections to the change of use.”

The store is one of the largest in the shopping centre and was occupied by Debenhams for many years. But during the 2020 lockdown it was announced that Debenhams would not be re-opening, partly because they couldn’t couldn't "agree terms" with the landlord intu.

The news was another nail in the coffin for struggling intu, which was at the time facing insolvency itself due to billions of pounds of debts. Later intu went into administration.

Meanwhile, in September 2020 the store re-opened as NEXT Home & Beauty, a 'concept' selling sell NEXT's own products alongside premium brands including Clarins, Origins, MAC, Estee Lauder, Armani Beauty, Bare Minerals, Benefit, Clinique, GHD, Lancome, Too Faced, Urban Decay and YSL. Beuaty treatments are also offered

A spokesman for the company said: "The aim of the new store is to create a premium retail environment for beauty, to complement the offer NEXT already

But within months there was competition when Harrods opened up a specialist beauty shop in the large former House of Fraser store, which is just metres away,

The Harrods store, called H Beauty, also sells a host of luxury skincare and beauty brands, including Chanel, Dior and Huda Beauty. Customers can able to have on the spot treatments such as facials and hair blow-dries.

In April 2021, as lockdown restrictions eased, the intu centre “rebranded” under the new name of Midsummer Place, with fresh plans to entice more shoppers to the centre and attract some of the biggest brands in the industry.

The centre’s general manager, Shelley Peppard said at the time: “We have always been a big part of our local community and, now with restrictions easing, our aim is to bring people back to the centre and remind them of the thrill of our shopping and leisure offering, all under a new brand.”

The bowling alley planning application was made late last month and is still in the early stages. Members of the public can give their views here.