New era for Hull's historic former Burton building as £2.4m restoration begins

The project, on the corner of Whitefriargate and Carr Lane, is expected to be completed towards the end of this year.

The four-storey building’s modern shopfronts will be replaced in keeping with the original style and design. The ground floor is being renovated to enable its use as a restaurant or retail outlet, with flexible space available on the upper floors.

Regeneration specialist Wykeland Group is leading the project, working closely with Historic England and Hull City Council’s conservation officer. The project is being carried out without occupiers lined up.

Jonathan Stubbs, development director at Wykeland, said: “The start of restoration work marks the opening of an exciting new chapter for one of Hull’s most distinctive and recognisable buildings.”

As much as 80 per cent of the granite cladding on the Burton building is damaged. Replacement granite has been sourced from the same quarry in Norway, matching the geographical origin of the original stone, which is in a poor condition.

The project is being supported by £750,000 from the Levelling Up Fund Grant Scheme, with a further £450,000 grant from Historic England.

The Burton fashion empire was founded in South Yorkshire by Montague Burton, a Lithuanian immigrant who arrived in England in 1900.

In 1931 Mr Burton bought Nos 34 and 35 Whitefriargate – in those days a chemist shop and a small brewery – for £9,000.

Plans to demolish the existing shop and construct a new building were approved in 1935 and the current art deco landmark – designed for Montague Burton by famed Chief Architect Henry Wilson – opened in December 1936.

When Burton owner Arcadia Group went into administration in 2020, the store closed its doors and the building has remained empty ever since. Wykeland purchased the site in 2021, following the previous purchases of the former Marks & Spencer and Littlewoods buildings in Whitefriargate.