TOWN hall bosses have pledged to find "alternative uses" for the Debenhams store which will now close following the historic chain's £55million sale to Boohoo.

The deal announced yesterday put the final nail in the coffin of Debenhams' remaining 118 stores, of which the store in Oldham's Spindles shopping complex was one.

In the wake of the announcement of the deal, Oldham Council leader Sean Fielding said that the imminent demise of the 242-year-old store chain had been taken into account when the authority bought the Spindles facility for £9.5m last year.

It said: "While the sale of Debenhams to Boohoo means that the historic brand will be preserved, it will still be a devastating blow to staff that the purchase will lead to the closure of all Debenhams stores.

“Since the business went into liquidation on December 1, the council has been maintaining regular contact with management at the store in Oldham and offering support to staff in a range of ways, through the Get Oldham Working Team.

“As the new owners of Spindles, we would very much have preferred for Debenhams to be saved in a way that preserved the Oldham store but it wasn’t to be.

"Our purchase of the Spindles accounted for a range of scenarios, including the closure of Debenhams, and the alternative uses we have planned for the shopping centre will mean that there are plenty of opportunities to fill the space left when the department store closes.

“We would like to extend our sympathy to staff affected and reassure them that the Council is here for them. Support is on offer to Debenhams staff to help them find new jobs or access welfare, if they need it.”

Former council leader and now Oldham West and Royton MP Jim McMahon, meanwhile, condemned said the deal brought "further devastation to our high-streets whilst the government sits idly by".

He went on: “When a name and a logo are what counts for deals like this, and not the loyal workforce who have built up the brand’s value through their hard work, something has gone very wrong.”

“My thoughts go out to the dedicated workforce at the Oldham store, who’ve lost their jobs through no fault of their own. My office is here to help if any constituents are unsure where to go at the moment.”

Ashton and Failsworth MP and Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner echoed Mr McMahon's sentiments when she said: "The closure of Debenhams is a devastating blow for Oldham town centre. It's a massive store and employs a lot of people locally.

"Seeing stores vanish from high streets in Oldham - and across Britain - will be a real blow to communities across our country and it will be absolutely devastating for the 25,000 people who face losing their job.

"The pandemic has forced us all to change the way we shop but that doesn't mean bricks and mortar businesses should suffer.

"The support on offer for struggling businesses has been a series of sticking plasters and unless the government puts in place a long-term plan to help high street businesses survive this crisis and recover on the other side, we will see more well-loved high street names vanishing, and many more jobs lost."

Oldham East and Saddleworth MP Debbie Abrahams said: "Seeing another familiar high street name vanish is a real blow to Oldham, and other towns and cities across the UK. But it will be absolutely devastating for the staff who face losing their jobs. 

"The pandemic has accelerated changes to the way we shop, yet the government continues to disadvantage bricks and mortar businesses against online companies. 

"The support on offer for struggling businesses has been a series of sticking plasters. Unless the government puts in place a long-term plan to help high street businesses survive this crisis, and recover on the other side, we will see more well-loved high street names vanishing, and many more jobs lost.”

The deal will see Debenhams products sold by Boohoo from early next year, allowing enough time for liquidators to continue closing the retailer's sites once they are allowed to reopen after Covid-19 lockdown restrictions are lifted.

But with stores closing across the brand, it is unlikely many of the remaining 12,000 jobs will be saved.

Debenhams had already announced significant job losses and the permanent closure of six stores, including its flagship outlet on London's Oxford Street.

Boohoo said the deal represented a "fantastic opportunity" to target new customers and launch into the beauty, sports and homewares market for the first time.

The company highlighted that Debenhams has six million beauty shoppers and 1.4 million Beauty Club members.

Boohoo said: "The group intends to rebuild and relaunch the Debenhams platform, helping further the group's stated ambition to lead the fashion ecommerce market, and grow into new categories including beauty, sport and homeware."

Boohoo shareholders appeared to welcome the deal, with shares up 4 per cent in early trading on yesterday.

However, Shore Capital retail analyst Greg Lawless warned that an online-only operation could hit Debenhams' beauty sales.

He said: "The big question in beauty is whether the big beauty brands - Clinique and Channel - will remain with Boohoo longer term.

"The Debenhams number one position in premium beauty was predicated on counter sales, which will not form part of this acquisition."