Westwood Cross

Westwood Cross

Sundial seat at Westwood Cross
Location	Westwood, Kent
Coordinates	51°21′36″N1°23′35″E / 51.360°N 1.393°E / 51.360; 1.393
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

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]}

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

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

1. "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. "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. 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.

External links

• Media related to Westwood Cross Shopping Centre at Wikimedia Commons
• Official website