Poundland ‘bemused’ over Bolton Council store seizure

The budget retailer on Victoria Square was shuttered as of the afternoon of Wednesday January 7, to the confusion of passersby.

Bolton Council says it took the decision because of unpaid debts, but Poundland says the company hopes to reopen its branch soon.

A Poundland spokesperson said: “We’re bemused at the council’s actions, not least because of the impact on our colleagues who work there.  

“We’re in active discussions with them and hope to re-open the store very quickly.”

The store has been seized (Image: Newsquest)

As of Wednesday afternoon, shutters were down at the branch opposite Bolton Town Hall with notices over the door saying the store had been seized.

A Bolton Council spokesperson said: “As landlords, the council has had no choice but to act in order to retrieve the longstanding amount due on a property that is, ultimately, owned by Bolton council taxpayers.

“The tenant operates successfully from a number of premises across the UK and we are confident that the non-payment is due to an administrative oversight.

A notice was left outside (Image: Newsquest)

“We aim to resolve the matter as quickly as possible.”

The branch has been seized before in December 2024, with the council saying at the time that this was because of unpaid debt.

Poundland said back in 2024 that it had only recently made a substantial payment and that it believed its rental account would soon be in credit.

But the branch was eventually able to reopen and was still serving customers until this week.

The company’s branch nearby on Deansgate closed back in October 17, under a year after the store had opened, replacing the Wilko store after the firm’s collapse. 

The retail chain said the closure was due to being unable to “secure an agreement with the landlord” and therefore will not be able to remain open. 

Crompton Place shopping centre is set to be demolished to make way for a new development that the council envisages will be made up of a mixed-use scheme. 

This could include food and drink outlets, offices, more than 270 car parking spaces and even rooftop football pitches.