Westwood Cross is an open, pedestrianised shopping centre located at Westwood, Kent, England. It opened in 2005, and since 2008 has incorporated a casino, bowling alley cinema and bingo hall.[1][5] [6][7]
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 Sundial seat at Westwood Cross | |
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| Location | Westwood, Kent |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 51°21′36″N 1°23′35″E / 51.360°N 1.393°E |
| Opening date | June 2005[1] |
| Developer | Carillion Richardson Partnership[2] |
| Owner | Land Securities[1] |
| No. of stores and services | 46[1] |
| Total retail floor area | 475,000 sq ft (44,100 m2)[1] |
| No. of floors | 3[3] |
| Parking | 1,500 spaces[4] |
| Website | Official website |
History
editWestwood Cross is situated on the site of the former Haine Hospital, which closed in June 1997 and was demolished in 2003. Construction required filling of a 10 metres (33 ft) deep railway cutting.[3][8][7]
Developers claimed that Westwood Cross created 1,500 jobs in the Broadstairs area.[9]
Kent County Council's decision to allow a 2008 expansion including leisure and gambling facilities was controversial. Church leaders said its location was tempting people who had never gambled before to give it a go. The scheme was eventually approved by the House of Lords.[10][7]
In 2010, additional retail outlets were created by conversion of a former adjoining Wickes store.[7]
A 2015 car park collapse beneath the Westwood Cross Primark store revealed underground tunnels believed to have been constructed during World War I training exercises. Researchers suggested they were subsequently used as air raid shelters for servicemen at Haine Hospital, and then sealed up.[11][12]
Kent Police put a 48 hour dispersal order on Westwood Cross in 2022 to control anti-social behaviour. The extra police powers were introduced after reports of teens abusing shop staff, shoplifting and nuisance scooter issues.[13]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e "Westwood Cross Retail Park, Thanet". Land Securities Retail. Archived from the original on 18 January 2016. Retrieved 16 December 2013.
- ^ "Westwood Cross, Thanet. Architects". Chetwoods. Archived from the original on 25 September 2021. Retrieved 21 August 2022.
- ^ a b "Thanet". Reuby Stagg. Archived from the original on 21 August 2022. Retrieved 21 August 2022.
- ^ "Getting Here". Westwood Cross. Archived from the original on 28 August 2017. Retrieved 28 August 2017.
- ^ Bailes, Kathy (6 August 2024). "Hollywood Bowl opening this weekend after transformation of former Debenhams at Westwood Cross". The Isle of Thanet News. Retrieved 8 October 2024.
- ^ "Casino opens amongst controversy". BBC News. 28 February 2008. Archived from the original on 17 December 2013. Retrieved 16 December 2013.
- ^ a b c d MacDougall, Lauren (2 April 2019). "Unseen pictures show Westwood Cross as you'll never see it again". KentLive. Archived from the original on 4 December 2020. Retrieved 21 August 2022.
- ^ "RootsWeb: Isle-of-Thanet-L [ISLE-OF-THANET] Haine Hospital". ancestry.com. Archived from the original on 13 October 2012. Retrieved 16 December 2013.
- ^ "New shopping developments opening". BBC News. 9 June 2005. Archived from the original on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 16 December 2013.
- ^ "Leisure park backed by law lords". BBC News. 2 November 2005. Archived from the original on 17 December 2013. Retrieved 16 December 2013.
- ^ Diebelius, Georgia (1 August 2017). "Secret abandoned cave network discovered under Primark". Metro News. Archived from the original on 17 October 2019. Retrieved 21 August 2022.
- ^ McDougall, Lauren (6 July 2018). "The story behind those hidden tunnels beneath Primark in Westwood Cross". KentLive. Archived from the original on 1 January 2021. Retrieved 21 August 2022.
- ^ Bailes, Kathy (6 May 2022). "Police put 48-hour dispersal order in place at Westwood Cross and surrounding roads". The Isle of Thanet News. Archived from the original on 6 May 2022. Retrieved 21 August 2022.
External links
edit
Media related to Westwood Cross Shopping Centre at Wikimedia Commons- Official website
