Shopping centre to get upgrade with new entrances, lights and seats

Fresh photos show what a South London shopping centre will look like once it has been upgraded with new entrances, lighting and seats. Southside Shopping Centre, in Wandsworth, will stay fully open during the works, which start this week and are expected to continue until November.

The frontages of the shopping centre’s three entrances will be remodelled to better suit the town centre, after the scheme was approved by Wandsworth Council in January. Planning officers said the existing entrances are ‘extremely outdated’ and fail to draw customers to the shopping centre, while the revamp will improve the venue and town centre.

The entrances on Wandsworth High Street and Garratt Lane will have looped metal arches and red brick features to pay tribute to the historic brick arched features at former greyhound racing track Wandsworth Stadium, which the site sits on, and Wandsworth Aqueduct. A new street art display will also be installed at the entrance on Neville Gill Close.

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Another major change will see the upper level of the shopping centre redesigned and new seating introduced to encourage visitors to come together. New lighting and signs will be installed throughout the shopping centre to brighten and improve its appearance, while it will also have a free water refill station to cut single-use plastic consumption and water bowls for dogs.

The scheme aims to upgrade the shopping centre by honouring the history of the site and fit in with the town centre to create a ‘vibrant retail and leisure environment’.

It follows the completion of a £1million scheme to improve parking at the shopping centre, including installing electric vehicle charging points, premium parking spaces and motorcycle delivery bays. It has also recently introduced a cycle hub, in partnership with Spokesafe, to provide spaces for cyclists to park their bikes when visiting Wandsworth.

Rebecca Ruddle, director of Southside Shopping Centre, said she wants to give visitors an ‘unrivalled experience’ at the venue. Lidl, Parthian Climbing, and Søstrene Grene are among the brands to have opened in the shopping centre over the past year, with more lined up – including Padel Social Club.

Ms Ruddle said: “Wandsworth is currently undergoing a significant regeneration, creating brand-new residential, leisure pursuits and business opportunities in the area, and with Southside being situated at the heart of the town, the refresh aims to provide visitors with enhanced facilities and create a new vibrant and welcoming atmosphere which complements the surrounding Wandsworth landscape.

“We look forward to rolling out these improvements over the coming months to create an even more inviting destination, whilst continuing to provide support to enhance the Wandsworth community.”

Got a story? Email charlotte.lillywhite@reachplc.com.

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