AUSTINS’ long-awaited move into the former M&S building is close to finishing, with scaffolding now removed from the front of the Courtenay Street property.
The removal marks a major step in the transformation of 10 Courtenay Street, which has been undergoing extensive restoration and renovation for nearly a year.
The building is being turned into a new menswear section for the Newton Abbot department store, plus a coffee bar called 'Quarter Coffee'. Neither has opened yet.
With the scaffolding gone, the new shopfront is visible for the first time in months, giving a glimpse of the finished look.
Austins submitted an application in December 2025 to replace the existing shopfront of the former M&S building. The new design is meant to match the department store's distinctive light-blue frontage.
The M&S store closed in 2014, and the property stayed empty for several years after that.
In October 2021, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) took a lease on the building and converted it into a temporary job centre. That move followed expectations that demand for employment services would rise after the Covid-19 pandemic and the end of the furlough scheme.
But that demand never materialised, and the building sat vacant again.
Austins bought the property in 2022, but couldn't take possession while the DWP's lease was still running. After the lease expired, Austins moved in during November 2025 and began its plans to expand into the neighbouring premises.
The first phase of work involved removing remaining asbestos, some of which had already been cleared by the DWP, before internal alterations could start.
Plans submitted for the redevelopment said the new retail space was expected to be ready for an opening in September 2026.
The new premises will have a main entrance from Courtenay Street with level access, while a link to Austins' existing store will include a ramp and steps to handle the difference in floor levels. The original rear pedestrian exit will be kept, along with a service entrance and exit to the side yard.
Austins’ Courtenay Street Expansion Nears Completion