We go behind the scenes inside Wolverhampton's famous Beatties building - this is what we saw

The bracing wind whistles through the gaps in the famous leaded arched windows, the walls are stripped to the bare brickwork.

Only the old signs for the ladies' cloakroom and the employee of the month competition provide a tell-tale about this building's former glories.

It seems incredible to think that little more than four years ago, this vast empty space would have been buzzing to the throng of Christmas shoppers, the tills jangling as people grabbed their last-minute bargains.

We're standing on the second floor of the former Beatties department store in Wolverhampton, in what would have been the clothing department until the doors closed at the start of 2021. What a difference a few years make.

We're the first media team to be invited inside the famous building by Hiten Raghwani, director of the London-based Eden group which bought the building a year ago, following the collapse of a previous developer.

Concerns have been raised - including by Wolverhampton Council - about the amount of time the building has lain empty, but Mr Raghwani insists people will see progress soon.

"We're still carrying out engineering research, but once all that has been completed, we expect to start work in June," he says.

"It will then be about 24 months before the first phase is completed, and the apartments go onto the market."

Despite his recent clash with Wolverhampton Council - which saw the authority threaten the company with prosecution over the state of the building - Mr Raghwani is full of praise for the speed with which planning permission was granted.

"In London, the process would be six or seven months, but in Wolverhampton it was granted in 28 days," he says.

"That is good news for us, the last thing we want is to be paying rates for six months while we wait to hear if it can go ahead."

For most people, the first thing that would have greeted them on arrival would have been the escalator from the perfumery department. Today, only a wooden board runs through the hole linking the ground floor with the basement. The upper floors and walls have now been stripped out, revealing the well-preserved red steel framework bearing the name of legendary Darlaston-based engineering works Rubery Owen.

The building was largely stripped bare under its previous owner, SSYS Beatties, which was placed in receivership in November 2023 amid a financial scandal.

This has led to concerns among the public about the building being left exposed to the elements, but Mr Raghwani said it has been a major advantage to find that this work was already done at the time he took the building over.

So vast and stark is the site that it can be quite hard to get your bearings, but the front of the second floor, where the clothing department used to be, quickly brings back the memories. The small flight of steps, which led to the book department in later decades, is still instantly recognisable.

One of the huge arched windows which give the building its distinctive Art Deco appearance, has been smashed, and has been covered by wooden boarding. Mr Raghwani says while the windows look impressive, they do not comply with modern building regulations, either in terms of noise insulation or energy efficiency, and will all need to be replaced.

"We are in the process of speaking to manufacturers to give us solutions for like-for-like replacements that will comply with both the building standards, and keep the look of the listed-building facade," he says.

The modern foyer added to the distinctive crescent-shaped recess in the front of the building will be removed, creating a seating area in front of a restaurant proposed for the ground floor. Mr Raghwani says there will be a total of 22 commercial units on the ground floor, largely made up of cafes, restaurants and bars.

He says he has quickly become aware about how important the building is to the people of Wolverhampton, adding that a Facebook group dedicated to its memory has 1,600 members.

"Some people come up to us and say 'it's great that you are bringing this building back to life, but others are concerned about the length of time it is taking," he says.

"I would say to them it is important that we get things right, we don't want to make the mistakes that other people have made in rushing things and doing it wrong."

Concerns have also been raised about building waste which had been dumped in the service yard at the rear of the building. Mr Raghwani says part of the problem had been a lack of parking enforcement, which meant he had been unable to get a lorry close enough to remove the waste.

"The council has now started enforcing the parking, which is very helpful," he says.

"We now intend to remove the waste, and once we have got permission we will board the area off, so it is clear that what is private land."

Previous owner SSYS Beatties had intended to demolish the car park, Mr Raghwani says he was advised to retain it for use by residents.

And Mr Raghwani says he has no intention of selling the flats once the development is complete. Up until now, his businesses have largely focused on retirement living, but he says the Beatties development is about diversifying his portfolio, and he intends to retain ownership and put the flats on the market for rent.

"I have been told there is a lot of demand from people who are struggling to get on the housing ladder, maybe starting families or living alone," he says.

"Another market may be international students. Our advisers at Connells have indicated a strong demand for rental units in that part of the market."