Demolition work begins on Southampton Toys R Us eight years after closure

Demolition work has started today on the former Toys R Us building in Southampton, eight years after it closed in 2018.

The building on Western Esplanade opened in the city 40 years ago in 1986.

The company is known for one of the most instantly recognised and iconic adverts on TV, released in 1989, which still holds a place in people's hearts.

The store and carpark covers 4.6 acres, which is the size of two and a half football pitches.

But all that space has been largely unused, since the chain of toy stores collapsed back in 2018.

However, since closing, the derelict building was used when war broke out in Ukraine.

It was made available to the Polish Social Club who used the site to sort aid for the war-torn country in 2022.

The group was inundated with donations for refugees which filled the building - with volunteers taking in thousands of goods including first aid equipment, painkillers, baby food, and clothes.

Now after years of lying empty, demolition work has begun and there are plans to transform the site.

Most of the vacant building will be taken down, apart from its steel frame and internal plant structure.

Southampton City Council says the demolition is the first step in the long term redevelopment of the site.

Those behind the plans say they're keen for the site to remain active and contribute to the city.

Leader of Southampton City Council, Cllr Sarah Bogle, said: "So the plans are to initially, partially demolish the site to leave a structure with basically a roof and a canopy.

"And the stage after that is to try and use it for what they call 'meanwhile uses', which is basically temporary uses that really bring the site back to life.

"So that can be anything from an event, to a market, to a padel court, to whatever. So I think lots of ideas are being explored on that, and that hopefully will start happening in two to three months."

In terms of the long term future, the council leader told us she doesn't know for certain, but imagines it will probably be a mixed-use development.

"So I imagine there's going to be some element of employment use, possibly housing. Definitely be some sort of element of innovation, that's always been a priority."

With the site being called an eyesore in the past, Cllr Bogle said: "It has been complained about bitterly by many of our residents.

"There's huge public interest in getting this site moving.

She added: "I hope that will start making a difference to how people feel about this part of the city. And obviously hope to give them a bit of hope about that fact that we are actually are serious about regenerating our great city."

Future redevelopment proposals for the site will be subject to further planning processes and consultation as plans progress.

WBS Growth Partnership LLP is a joint venture between Aviva Capital Partners, Southampton City Council and the University of Southampton Holdings - established to bring forward regeneration of the site.

The partnership's vision is for a new innovation-led neighbourhood that supports jobs, investment, learning and new opportunities for the city.

In August, Sebastian Thomas at Stories, the Development Manager for WBS Growth Partnership, said: "The submission of this application represents an important milestone in unlocking the future potential of the former Toys R Us site.

"While demolition is necessary to prepare the site for long-term redevelopment, we are keen to ensure the space remains active and contributes to the city from the earliest possible stage."

"By retaining part of the existing structure, we can create opportunities for meanwhile uses that bring people together, support innovation and creativity, and begin to showcase the exciting future we are working towards for the area."

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