A plan to refurbish a former Homebase unit in Newcastle-under-Lyme to make way for a new Home Bargains store has been approved.

The plans first came forward in March and will see the building refurbished, including a relocated customer entrance and a refurbished shop front to allow for a redesigned internal layout. 

TJ Morris, which owns the Home Bargains brand, says it is "looking to improve the customer offer in Newcastle-under-Lyme" and is due to invest £3 million to bring the retail unit back into use. 

There are hopes the store, off Lyme Valley Road in Newcastle, will "generate 100 full and part-time job opportunities" when open.

Homebase in Newcastle closed its doors in February this year, along with other stores across the country, after the brand was bought in 2024 by the owner of The Range and Wilko. 

TJ Morris already operates a Home Bargains store in Newcastle town centre on Castle Walk, approximately 590 meters from the new Lyme Valley Road site, but the company says the plans will "improve the retail choice and competition currently represented in the local area". 

There are seven more Home Bargains stores currently operating across Stoke-on-Trent and Newcastle borough. 

The officer report permitting the application said: "The application seeks planning permission for continued use of existing retail unit within Class E with building refurbishment including new shopfronts and relocated customer entrance/exit; new security fencing and gates; removal of service yard canopy; new profiled composite roof cladding to both the main building and internal garden centre outbuilding; new roof lights over the internal garden centre outbuilding; covered cycle shelter added at the request of Highways (to replace existing cycle hoops); shopfront / door positions adjusted to suit the clients updated retail layout; and associated works at the former Homebase retail unit, 33 Brook Lane, Newcastle-under-Lyme. 

"It is intended that the building will be occupied by Home Bargains.

"The proposal aims to bring forward modest refurbishment works- new shopfronts and relocated customer entrance/exit; new security fencing and gates and to remove the existing service yard canopy - to enable the retail unit to be re-occupied."

There has been no information from TJ Morris yet about when the new store may open.

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