Queensgate shopping centre, United Kingdom facts for kids
Coordinates: 52°34′26″N 0°14′38″W / 52.574°N 0.244°W
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| Location | Peterborough, Cambs. PE1 1NT |
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| No. of stores and services | 90 |
| Total retail floor area | 804,000 square feet (74,700 m2) |
| Parking | 2,300 spaces |
| No. of floors | 3 |
| Website | www.queensgate-shopping.co.uk |
The Queensgate shopping centre in the United Kingdom, is situated at Peterborough city centre in Cambridgeshire. It was opened by Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands on 9 March 1982 and contains over 90 stores and parking for 2,300 cars. Queensgate bus station is adjacent to the shopping centre and only a short walk from Peterborough railway station, a major interchange. Peterborough Shopmobility provide wheelchairs and electric scooters to help those with limited mobility.
History
Designated a New Town in 1967, Peterborough Development Corporation decided to construct a new purpose-built shopping centre in the heart of the revitalised city. Planning permission was received in the late summer of 1976 and, in the November of that year, the John Lewis Partnership announced that it had agreed to be the anchor shop in the new development. The opening of John Lewis Peterborough (and Waitrose supermarket) marked a return to the city after an absence of over twenty five years. Until 1956, when the two main blocks of the building were completely destroyed by fire, the John Lewis Partnership had a small department store in Peterborough trading under the name of Robert Sayle. Originally known as Thompsons, the shop had been renamed following the Partnership's acquisition of Selfridge Provincial Stores in 1940. Robert Sayle was itself renamed John Lewis Cambridge after a major refurbishment in 2007.
Independent local radio stations, Heart Cambridgeshire and Gold Peterborough, formerly Hereward FM and sister station WGMS, have broadcast from studios at Queensgate since moving from Lower Bridge Street in 1987. Queensgate advertises on Heart with the jingle the capital city of shopping. Heart can be heard on 102.7 MHz in Peterborough and 103 MHz in Cambridge.
In 2005, Hammerson Plc acquired a 50% interest in the freehold of Queensgate from Norwich Union Life and Pensions for a total consideration of £156 million. The north Westgate project was to have created a 646,000 square feet (60,000 m²) mixed-use development adjacent to the existing shopping centre. On completion of the works, the combined scheme would have formed a single 1,450,000 square feet (135,000 m²) destination. Plans for the development were shelved in the wake of the recession, however, they have recently been mentioned in public again.
In 2007, Queensgate shopping centre announced it would be opening on Boxing Day for the first time in its 25-year history.
In 2011, a £20 million revamp to Queensgate was confirmed. This included top-brand clothes shop Primark taking over several units and an extension to replace the units taken over. The changes to the car park removed references to local historical figures (Edith Cavell, Frank Perkins, Henry Royce and John Clare) in favour of a colour-coded system, although these were subsequently reinstated.
In 2015, a detailed planning application for the £30 million enhancement of the centre was submitted to Peterborough City Council by new owners Invesco and its managers Lendlease. The 77,000 square feet (7,153 m²) extension will be carried out in partnership with John Lewis, which will be releasing its under used storage space to create a refurbished offering, including a restaurant hub and multi-screen digital cinema.
