New Strand Shopping Centre
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53°27′07″N 2°59′35″W / 53.452°N 2.993°W
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| Location | Bootle, Merseyside, England |
|---|---|
| Opening date | 1960s |
| Management | Bob Greenhalgh - Centre Manager |
| Owner | Ellandi[1] |
| No. of stores and services | 130 |
| No. of anchor tenants | 5 |
| Total retail floor area | 407,000 square feet (38,000 m2)[2] |
| No. of floors | 2 |
| Parking | 600[citation needed] |
| Website | The Strand Website |
The New Strand Shopping Centre, known locally simply as The Strand, is the main shopping centre in Bootle, Merseyside, England. Built and opened during the 1960s, it was part of a larger Bootle redevelopment during this period, which was also complemented by the establishment of the Girobank headquarters in nearby Netherton.[3]
The centre was extended between 1997 and 1998 and completed in November the same year to provide additional retail outlets, as well as additional car-parking facilities and improved transportation to the centre. The shopping centre has won a Home Office award for its efforts in tackling crime, with just a handful of other towns and cities in the North West of England gaining the honour.[4]
The Strand centre is also widely known for the 1993 abduction of toddler James Bulger, who was later found murdered on a railway line.
In October 2014, it was announced that London-based Ellandi had purchased the shopping centre with plans to update the signage, improve accessibility and bring in new retailers.
History
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Expansion
The Strand saw its first major redevelopment and expansion in 1997-1998, conceived in response to the shortage of larger sized units in Bootle.[5] The redevelopment project consisted of a 100,000 square feet (9,300 m2)[5] expansion to the existing shopping centre mall, providing new floor space to a host of new retailers, whilst also providing a direct link into a new bus station and transport interchange for Merseyrail, all being completed in November 1998.[6] Additional parking facilities were provided in the form of a new multi storey carpark which complements the existing multi story carpark adjacent.
Stores
Stores in the shopping centre include Marks & Spencer, New Look, Iceland, B&M, Wilko and JD Sports.[7]
Subway opened in an aisle location in July 2014
Transport links
It is served by the Bootle New Strand railway station running on the Northern Line, with trains running to Southport and Liverpool city centre. Bus links to the Strand became much improved following the extension which took place during 1999, which included a new bus terminal amongst other extensions to the main building.
Criticism
The shopping centre has been criticised for their health and safety procedures, when a disabled woman struggled to evacuate the building when a chip shop caught fire on 27 October 2008. The woman was trapped inside the TJ Hughes department store as smoke filled the building, and claims she told a store assistant, "don't forget us, will you?" and asked for a Health and Safety officer, but never received the required assistance.[8] Around 1,000 shoppers were evacuated as three fire crews were called to Costara's Fish Bar just after 2 pm and took over three hours to extinguish the blaze.
References
- ^ Bootle Strand Shopping Centre changes hands
- ^ Galway Independent - Liverpool Hotspot Galway Independent, 13 February 2007
- ^ Sefton Metropolitan Borough Council — Main Office
- ^ Strand Scoops Crime-Busting Award
- ^ a b "Land Securities - Retail - Bootle, Strand Shopping Centre". Property Mall. 9 January 1998. Retrieved 26 October 2008.
- ^ Land Securities - March 1999 report (pg12) LandSecurities.com, 31 March 1999
- ^ Barker Proudlove, http://www.barkerproudlove.co.uk/news/barker-proudlove-appointed-on-strand-shopping-centre-bootle
- ^ "Woman trapped as smoke filled Strand Centre". Bootle Times. 30 October 2008. Retrieved 30 October 2008.
