M&S taken to court by city council over closed store

Leicester City Council is taking Marks & Spencer (M&S) to court over hundreds of thousands of pounds of unpaid business rates linked to its former city centre store.

The retailer closed its store in Gallowtree Gate in August 2024 but the authority has said it is owed £419,000.

Court documents have shown the case will be heard by Leicester magistrates on Wednesday.

On Tuesday, M&S told the BBC it was "urgently investigating" the matter with the council and a tenant that had occupied the store since July 2025.

The council has declined to comment but confirmed it was seeking to recover business rates from M&S.

After M&S quit the site, it reopened as a homeware store which subsequently closed earlier this year.

The store is currently closed, though there are posters in the window looking to recruit staff.

M&S previously said it had made "the tough decision" to close the Gallowtree Gate shop and upgrade its store at Fosse Park.

Bosses said the move was down to changing shopping habits.

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