Westwood Cross

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Westwood Cross
Westwood Cross Centre Logo.png
Sundial seat at Westwood Cross - geograph.org.uk - 1363439.jpg
Sundial seat at Westwood Cross
Westwood Cross
Location Westwood, Kent
Coordinates 51°21′36″N1°23′35″E / 51.360°N 1.393°E / 51.360; 1.393
Opening dateJune 2005 [1]
Developer Carillion Richardson Partnership [2]
Owner Land Securities [1]
No. of stores and services46 [1]
Total retail floor area 475,000 sq ft (44,100 m2) [1]
No. of floors3 [3]
Parking1,500 spaces [4]
Website Official website

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]

Contents

History

Westwood 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]

Westwood Cross shopping centre Westwood Cross shopping centre - geograph.org.uk - 727923.jpg
Westwood Cross shopping centre

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]

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "Westwood Cross Retail Park, Thanet". Land Securities Retail. Archived from the original on 18 January 2016. Retrieved 16 December 2013.
  2. ↑ "Westwood Cross, Thanet. Architects". Chetwoods. Archived from the original on 25 September 2021. Retrieved 21 August 2022.
  3. 1 2 "Thanet". Reuby Stagg. Archived from the original on 21 August 2022. Retrieved 21 August 2022.
  4. ↑ "Getting Here". Westwood Cross. Archived from the original on 28 August 2017. Retrieved 28 August 2017.
  5. ↑ 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.
  6. ↑ "Casino opens amongst controversy". BBC News. 28 February 2008. Archived from the original on 17 December 2013. Retrieved 16 December 2013.
  7. 1 2 3 4 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.
  8. ↑ "RootsWeb: Isle-of-Thanet-L [ISLE-OF-THANET] Haine Hospital". ancestry.com. Archived from the original on 13 October 2012. Retrieved 16 December 2013.
  9. ↑ "New shopping developments opening". BBC News. 9 June 2005. Archived from the original on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 16 December 2013.
  10. ↑ "Leisure park backed by law lords". BBC News. 2 November 2005. Archived from the original on 17 December 2013. Retrieved 16 December 2013.
  11. ↑ 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.
  12. ↑ 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.
  13. ↑ 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.
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