Huge UK shopping centre being demolished to create ‘new town centre’ | UK | News

Britons aren’t shopping the way we used to a generation ago, and all over the country we’re seeing the demise of traditional high streets and shopping centres. One of the most important developments of recent months was the demolition of Stretford Shopping Center in Manchester.

Formerly known as the Stretford District during the 1970s and 80s, the refurbished shopping center opened to great fanfare in 1969 as Stratford Arndale. The name Stratford Arndale persisted on bus timetables for many years after the centre’s name was revised to plain old Stratford Mall to distinguish it from the larger retail development in Manchester Town centre.

But Stretford Shopping Center closed its doors for the final time on February 27 as part of redevelopment efforts to create a “new town centre” in Stretford, led by Trafford council and Bruntwood Holdings.

Nearby King Street has already opened as a new thoroughfare and public square. However, there is no doubt that the shopping mall will remain in the memories of local people for many years to come.

Older residents will remember the day boxing legend Muhammad Ali arrived at the Arndale as part of the Ovaltine promotion. And many of them share memories of “shaking it off” from school and hanging out at the mall, plugging their ears, buying records, or just doing what teenagers have always done.

Developers have revealed initial plans for 248 new homes on the shopping centre’s site. These are set to be a mix of apartments and houses, with 120 one-bedroom flats and 114 two-bedroom and 14 three-bedroom houses proposed for the site.

A new park is also planned for the site and developer Bruntwood says he wants it to be a place of ‘relaxation and social interaction’.

Rob Elsom, Bruntwood’s development director, said it would be “a major green public space leading right into the heart of the town centre, which will be immediately adjacent to the high street and new shops and will create a view all the way down to Saint Matthew’s Church below”. He added: “It will create an interesting focal point and be a place for people to hang out.”

He added: “It would be great to be able to do retail along King Street, down the park and then back to Chester Road where our current retail store is now. So we create a retail loop as well as keeping the Aldi mainstay on the other side.”

However, it will take some time for these new features to become as deeply embedded in the public consciousness as Stretford Mall. Writing about the mall on Facebook, local Wendy Austin said: “When I was a kid we had to see the fountain if we went to the area. On the other side of the curve of the stairs were a few aquariums filled with different fish. This was also popular.”

It tells how many birthdays and other unforgettable moments were celebrated with a visit to the mall. She was really getting it: “My first pair of roller boots. The Barbie I got for having my appendix removed. And Twister.”

It was the location of many locals’ first jobs, with Saturday shifts at Boots and WH Smith, a traditional rite of passage for Stratford young people.

The new focus will be on housing rather than retail. All told, Trafford council hopes to build more than 750 new homes in the local area, with additional development phases still ahead as part of creating a “new town centre”.

Developers are now planning the next phase of development; Demolition work will begin in June and is expected to be completed in September.