WestQuay Education Pack
For further information Contact:
WestQuay Management Suite
8 – 10 Portland Terrace
Southampton
SO14 7EG
Tel: 023 80236789
E-mail: info@west-quay.co.uk
Contents:
1. Centre Overview
2. WestQuay Facts & Figures
3. Customer Service
4. Construction
5. Retailers
6. WestQuay Branding
7. Dining at WestQuay
8. Website Development
9. Watermark WestQuay
10. Archaeological History
11. Corporate Responsibilities
12. Environmental Policy
13. Environmental Geothermal Scheme
14. Charitable Partnership
15. Career Opportunities
16. Awards
17. How to get to WestQuay
18. Acknowledgements
1. The Centre
WestQuay Overview
WestQuay is a £295 million development
incorporating two department stores and 100
shops and catering units on a 33 acre site.
The shopping centre covers 74,500 sq m
(800,00 sq ft) of retail space across two floors
including an additional catering level.
WestQuay is a regional retail destination
linking Southampton’s existing shopping
district in Above Bar to the adjacent retail park.
The main entrance to the centre is on Above
Bar, on the site of the former Daily Echo
building. It extends over Portland Terrace
through a glazed pedestrian bridge. From
here, an arcade of shops leads to the heart of
the centre. A full height glazed frontage in the
Food Terrace gives views over Southampton Water.
Echoing the historic city walls there is a pedestrian walkway around the shopping
centre, which provides the opportunity for visitors to take a refreshing stroll and
enjoy the elevated views of the area. The area called Arundel Circus is the major
public transport interchange for WestQuay, with buses servicing the centre
stopping here. Its main feature is a glass tower, which mimics the old Arundel
Tower of the City Walls.
Who owns WestQuay?
WestQuay is jointly owned by Hammerson UK Properties plc and
GIC Real Estate. Hammerson is a development company
specialising in large shopping centre and office developments in
the UK, France and Germany. GIC is the investment arm for the
Singapore government.
www.hammerson.co.uk
www.gic.com.sg
Other town centre/ regional developments by Hammerson include The Oracle in
Reading, The Bullring in Birmingham, Highcross in Leicester and Brent Cross in
North London.
2. WestQuay Facts & Figures
WestQuay is a £295 million development incorporating 100 retailers, including
John Lewis and Marks & Spencer, 50 fashion stores and 21 places to eat, drink
and relax on a 33 acre site.
The centre’s total retail space is 74,500 sq m (800,000 sq ft), five times the size
of a football stadium!
Southampton was previously ranked 27th in the UK as a regional city in terms of
retail space. With the opening of WestQuay, its position has risen to number 13
following London, Glasgow, Leeds, Nottingham, Manchester and Cardiff (source
Experian 2007).
WestQuay Catchment
Core Towns:
Southampton
Salisbury
Winchester
Portsmouth
Bournemouth
WestQuay’s catchment is two million people living within a 60 minute drive.
Together they represent a total of £2.32 billion retail spend.
Initially, approximately 12 million people were expected to visit the centre in the
first year (1.5 million people had visited WestQuay within two weeks of opening)
At the end of 2001, a total of 16 million visitors had passed through the doors, a
dramatic increase on expectations.
WestQuay provides 4,000 car parking spaces for customers.
3. Customer Service
The staff at WestQuay are committed to enhancing the shopping experience and
the quality of the customer’s visit.
There is a team of Customer Service Assistants to welcome you to the centre
who will also provide you with assistance should you need it.
Customer service facilities and assistance available at WestQuay include:
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Good transport links and up to date transport information
Comprehensive Shopmobility service
Effective management of information including a Customer Service Desk
and touchscreens throughout the centre
Links to other leisure facilities
Vibrant open space in the heart of the centre which provides a programme
of quality public entertainment, promotions and events
Tourist information
Lost property assistance
Childsafe scheme
WestQuay Gift Cards
4. Construction
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Demolition began in September 1997 and WestQuay opened on 28th
September 2000
WestQuay’s Multi-Storey Car Park was constructed on the former site of
the first Pirelli Cable Works and it measures approximately ¼ of a mile
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from one end of the construction to the other. The shopping centre itself
was built on the former Daily Echo site
The development crosses over three major roads. It absorbs a 4 ½ metre
change in ground level between east and west boundaries
The length of the mall from Above Bar to Harbour Parade is 400m
The 20m support structure from the two-storey glazed retail link over
Portland Terrace weighs 400 tonnes
15,000 cubic metres of crushed concrete from the demolition has been
recycled for use on the site. 120,000 tonnes of excavated material was
removed
Rubble was taken to tips 50 miles away, involving 5,040 lorry loads
The roof lights extend to around 350 metres in length
There are a total of 32 lifts throughout the development
The steel work took 20 weeks to design, order and manufacture
As many as 13 tower cranes worked on the site
The tallest crane had a 66m mast and a reach of 65m
Southampton’s Geothermal Heat Station supplies heat and chilling
facilities to the centre
Local residents were kept informed of any significant changes on the site
throughout the construction process
Materials
138 knapped flint store panels were introduced below the anchor stores to form a
plinth, which continues the theme of the old city walls.
3,500 light coloured vitreous enamel steel panels equating to 6,200 sq m were
used on the majority of the elevations.
More than 16 buff coloured Portland stone panels were used on those facades
adjacent to existing buildings.
At the curved corner of the John Lewis department store on Harbour Parade and
Pirelli Street, 20m high glazing incorporates entrances at road lower ground level
through which a bank of scenic lifts is clearly visible. This architecture feature has
been designed to be the store’s main entrance.
25,000 tonnes of concrete a month was being laid and 1,200 employees were
working on the site at the height of the construction.
Architecture and Design
The design of WestQuay responds to Southampton’s existing streetscape and
features elevations in a range of materials. Portland Stone, buff coloured
brickwork, metal cladding and a masonry base of knapped flint faced stone walls
have been used to reflect the variety of existing materials which distinguish the
different parts of the city: the historic old town, post-war development and the
port building.
A series of naturally lit internal public spaces, each with its own distinctive
character, are linked to form an internal street. The main entrance on Above Bar,
identified by a vaulted fabric canopy projecting into the street, marks the start of
the route, which leads through a serpentine arcade to emerge into a dramatic
Focal Space.
Here, the horizontal and vertical scale far exceeds those of the preceding spaces
to reveal a triangular three level piazza, surrounded by shopping galleries, to
create a magnificent internal urban square. The spatial effect is in stunning
counterbalance to Above Bar, providing a natural forum for performance
activities, catering and exhibition uses. The catering area
at first floor level comprises two-storey units with upper
level balconies providing a dramatic venue beneath a
spacious roof with views over looking Southampton
Water.
Other key elements of the revised scheme include a new
entrance linking directly to the city’s bus network to
provide direct access to the shopping centre for the
shoppers using public transport.
Externally, the main building features a masonry podium
base clad in knapped flint faced stone panels with
decorative metal grilles. Above this, a pedestrian
walkway with metal handrails and planting troughs wraps
round the building as a modern extension to the historic town walls.
The two anchor stores have been designed to form two separate buildings, with
the John Lewis Southampton building identified through a modular vitreous
enameled steel cladding system with ribbon glazed windows, while the Marks &
Spencer building features modular steel cladding, exposed metal and stone
based columns and large areas of glazing.
At roof level a projecting cornice clad in metal oversails the façade to form a
horizontal cap and defines the five storey high parapet to the building.
The centerpiece of the development linking the two department store buildings is
a dramatic barrel vaulted roof and double height glazed façade resting on a
gently curved elevation of modular steel panels.
A new external civic open space had been created at Arundel Circus. Facing onto
the historic monument of Arundel Tower, the space acts as an entrance into the
shopping centre.
Around Arundel Circus the building takes the form of a series of concentric
circles, which gradually step the building back through three storeys away from
Arundel Circus space. The result achieves a further prominence for this external
space where cafes, bars and restaurants will be sited to create a hub of
entertainment.
Glazed entrances are incorporated in the sides of the building to provide ease of
access, and a glazed entrance rotunda at the North West corner of the site acts
as an important landmark and night time beacon.
Other external features include a series of exposed steel bridges which connect
the development to the adjacent new and existing car parks and a family of
glazed and steel canopy structures mark the three separate entrances at
Portland Terrace, Arundel Circus and the western multi-storey car park.
Internal finishes are of a very high standard and feature simple designs in natural
materials to promote the visual emphasis of the individual shop front. Granite
floors, metal clad pilasters, plaster ceilings and simple glass balustrades with
maple wood handrails are combined with the high level of natural lighting to
create a spacious bright interior emphasised by the full height central atrium
space. There are several pieces of public art in the centre including a dichroic
suspended glass sculpture on the catering level, a light sculpture in the Focal
Space and a bronze sculpture opposite Marks & Spencer on the Lower Shopping
level.
5. The Retailers
WestQuay is the region’s premier shopping destination. Aspirational brands
include Zara, Karen Millen, Fat Face, Apple, Coast and Hollister.
WestQuay’s anchor stores are John Lewis Partnership and Marks & Spencer.
These are the biggest stores in the centre and those which attract most
customers.
The John Lewis store is one of the largest outside of London. It is double the size
of the of Tyrrell & Green store at 25,000 sq m (265,000 sq ft) on four floors.
Marks & Spencer is larger than its previous Above Bar store at10,000 sq m
(105,000 sq ft)
Major Space Units:
Zara
18,791 sq ft
H&M
30,076 sq ft
Next
26,433 sq ft
Gap
12,458 sq ft
Arcadia
27,987 sq ft
Sports Direct 21,683 sq ft
New Look
23,000 sq ft
Anchor stores:
John Lewis 265,000 sq ft
Mark & Spencer 100,000 sq ft
6. WestQuay Branding
WestQuay works with a London-based creative media agency, MRM Meteorite,
who produce the brand creative and execute all collateral.
The new brand campaign was launched in summer 2012 and features hero
products photographed by Alexander Kent, with brand logos representing
different retail therapy areas on the appropriate product image, communicating
the key message ‘Where the best brands meet’. The creative remains simple,
with the image against a brushed steel background reflecting WestQuay’s
spacious and stylish environment.
The campaign has been delivered in print and digitally, and WestQuay’s first TV
advertisements for several years have also been created as part of the new
brand campaign. The ad has a 30 second duration and features an individual
female meandering through the shopping centre with her perfect brand logos
floating off the stores behind her, as she makes her way in to the fitting room, the
logos follow and form together on the dress she is trying, with ‘Where the best
brands meet’ as the final shot. The ad will initially run for 8 weeks in the ITV
Meridian region and again during the Christmas period.
7. Dining at WestQuay
Work began in June 2012 on a £7million re-development of the WestQuay Food
Terrace, which is due for completion in November 2012. The development will
bring approximately 100 new jobs to the city and the new and improved area will
be called ‘Dining at WestQuay’ which reflects the casual dining options and
environment which will soon be available to visitors.
The re-development will see changes to both the structure and decoration of the
existing Food Terrace. The outdoor roof terrace will be extended and covered
with a glass atrium offering year round seating with spectacular views of
Southampton water, and a new bridge walkway to an upper level will also be
featured linking two new eateries with the food terrace.
Hit noodle chain Wagamama and Café Rouge – both the first to open in
Southampton - along with Pizza Express have been announced as three of the
brands joining WestQuay as part of the development.
When Dining at WestQuay launches in November, Hammerson expect to see a 5
to 10% increase in footfall to the food area.
8.Website Development
In September 2012, WestQuay will unveil a brand new world class website,
which is being rolled out across the Hammerson portfolio. The new mobileoptimised site will create an exciting, interactive and user-friendly hub, which
brings all the activity, information and promotions from WestQuay’s retailers
together in one place.
WestQuay’s current website receives approximately 350,000 unique visitors per
month and this is expected to increase after the launch of the new site which will
feature a host of new functions, such as downloadable vouchers, search engine
facility and store suggestions.
9. Watermark WestQuay
The development of the vacant four acre site next to WestQuay will be the city’s
largest development since WestQuay was built in 2000 and once finished will
create up to 1,000 jobs in the city. Watermark WestQuay is a leisure-led scheme
set to feature flagship restaurants, a luxury cinema, shops and a landscaped
plaza set against the city’s medieval walls which will complement WestQuay and
create a vibrant night time economy.
Hammerson will submit a planning application to the Council in early 2013.
The History of the John Lewis Partnership
Background Notes: Mr Tyrrell and the Greens
In 1898 the business began as a drapers on the Above Bar site and rapidly
expanded until 1920 (when sales surpassed £18,000) and was renowned for its
service, with two commissionaires, pages and an Italian chef. In the same year,
Mr Tyrrell withdrew, received £45,000 for his share and Mr and Mrs Green were
left in charge of what is now a public company. With Mrs Green buying fashion
and Mr Green handling piece goods and haberdashery, the business prospered
until the department occupied nine houses.
In May 1932 the business was sold to Barkers of Mile End Road, London, who
cleared out the existing stock at low prices and tried to lower the quality of trade.
After just one year, Mr and Mrs Green bought back the business, advertising a
second “special re-organised sale” in the Southern Daily Echo of 19th August
1933, with the words: “it is imperative we clear out of stock all goods on hand at
the present time in order to recreate the old Tyrrell & Green atmosphere…”
The John Lewis Partnership
The business was brought by the John Lewis Partnership in 1934. Staff living in
the upper rooms had to respect a curfew of 10pm and the buyers were told “it
was more than their lives worth” to sell goods dearer that their competitors.
Southampton in the 1930s was a vigorous city, home port of the Atlantic liners,
Queen Mary and the Queen Elizabeth. The Second World War hit the city hard
and November 1940 saw three weekends of particularly heavy bombing.
On the weekend of 30th November 1940, 105 tons of bombs fell and Tyrrell &
Green was amongst the buildings destroyed. Tyrrell & Green resumed trading
one week later from a small shop in Winchester. Rebuilding began in 1954 and
the current Above Bar store was officially opened by the Mayor of Southampton
on 7th May 1956.
A modern business
Today the branch of John Lewis in Southampton is part of a £3.5 billion retail
business, comprising of 25 department stores across the UK (including Knight &
Lee at Southsea), 118 Waitrose supermarkets and several manufacturing units.
The 39,000 staff are called Partners and are part of Britain’s foremost example of
a major enterprise run for the benefit of it members. All partners share in the
profits they help to make.
John Lewis Southampton joins John Lewis, Cheadle (1995) John Lewis, Cribbs
Causeway (1988) John Lewis , Bluewater (1999) and John Lewis, Glasgow
(1999) in offering all the advantages of the very latest in John Lewis department
store design. John Lewis Southampton was the first John Lewis for the new
Millennium.
The John Lewis store at WestQuay
The sharply-angled site means the Lower Ground Floor is seven metres above
the level of footpath outside.
Ceiling area
Lighting fittings
Carpet area
Miles of cabling
Number of blocks
Weight of plant roof
Number of lifts
Weight of pisan marble
Total ‘man-hours’
Number of drawings (est)
18,000 sq m (55,000 tiles)
10,000
12,000 sqm
200 miles
130,000
130 tonnes
11
75 tonnes
460,000
2,000+
The history of Marks & Spencer
Background Notes
The story of Marks &
coming together of two
people.
Spencer is the
very different
Michael Marks was
born in 1859 in what
was then Russian
Poland. His mother
died in childbirth and,
as a child he knew
poverty and hardship.
As a result, he
came to England,
settling in Leeds
where he knew there
was a large Jewish
community. He couldn’t speak a word of English, read or write, he had no trade
and no money. All he knew was that there was a firm in Leeds called Barran that
was helpful to Jewish refugees.
In 1884 he approached Isaac Dewhirst from Barran outside his warehouse in
Kirkgate. Luckily for Isaac, his general manager was with him and understood
enough Yiddish to find out about the young man’s background. In the end Isaac
offered to lend Michael £5 (a lot of money in those days!), who accepted the offer
to buy goods from Dewhirst’s warehouse and peddle them in villages around
Leeds. As soon as he had enough money, Michael hired a pitch in Leeds’ open
market and Dewhirst’s cashier soon developed a liking for him. His name was
Tom Spencer.
Michael took a stall as soon as a covered market opened in Leeds, trading six
days a week with a range of goods selling for just a penny. During the next two
years he opened a similar Penny Bazaar and employed a team of people to look
after them.
Michael Marks married Hannah Cohen in 1886 and set up home in Caroline
Street, Wigan, which proved to be a good base from which to expand his
business. They would have five children and a happy marriage.
As the enterprise grew bigger Michael Marks asked Isaac Dewhirst to become
his partner, Isaac turned him down but suggested Tom Spencer, who eventually
invested £300, representing a half share in the business. On 28th September
1894 the firm Marks & Spencer was formed. The partnership was to last nine
successful years and by the end of 1890 they had 36 branches, most in the north
of England but with three shops in London. In 1897 the headquarters moved to
Robert Street in Manchester, and two years later they built a warehouse in Derby
Street with better conditions for their staff, a key concern of the company.
In 1903 Marks & Spencer became a limited company with a share capital of
£30,000. Tom retired at a time of rapid expansion and then died two years later,
which came as a huge blow for the company.
In 1904 the Leeds Estate Company opened the Cross Arcade in Boar Lane.
Michael seized the opportunity and took eight units to open a Penny Bazaar. It
was a huge success and Michael soon realised that the future of the company
lay in shops. But since Tom’s death, Michael was under a lot of pressure and he
died at the early age of 48. This started a fight for control of the business, but
despite the problems, by 1914 there were 140 stores and additional warehouses
in Birmingham and London. Michael Mark’s eldest son Simon and Thomas
Spencer Jr both joined the board in 1911. Gradually the Marks family gained
more and more power over the business thanks to Simon’s entrepreneurship,
and in 1916 he was appointed Chairman at 28 years of age.
After World War One, Marks & Spencer brought the freehold of many of their
stores and textiles became an important part of their sales, giving the company a
new image.
In 1926 Marks & Spencer became a public company and in 1931 their
headquarters moved to Baker Street. Their brand name – St Michael – was also
created in the 1920s, as a tribute to both Michael Marks and the archangel
Michael, the guardian angel and patron of Jewish people. The green and gold
fascia first appeared in 1924.
The Marks & Spencer store at WestQuay offers 100,000 sq ft of retail space and
was one of the first stores in the country to adopt a new image.
10. Archaeological History
Archaeological
funded by the
developers,
took place at
1998, while
existing buildings and
ground works
the new shopping
swing. There were up
archaeologists on the
Southampton City
Archaeological Unit.
excavations,
WestQuay
Hammerson PlC,
WestQuay in
demolition of
construction of
associated with
centre got into full
to 50
site, working for
Council’s
Soon after work
started,
archaeologists found important environmental evidence. In medieval times and
up to about a hundred years ago, the bank of the River Test was in the area
where Western Esplanade is today. Evidence was found of peat deposits
beneath the silt of the river, which indicates that the environment changed many
times during the ice ages, as sea levels rose and fell and temperatures increased
and decreased.
The archaeologists found prehistoric worked flints, including a Palaeolithic handaxe and three Bronze Age pots, deposited in a stack in a small pit, under the
patio of the Spa Tavern. They were certainly deliberately placed, perhaps in a
burial mound, or barrow. Barrows were often built where they could be seen from
a distance and these pots were very close to the edge of the low cliff, which used
to back the shoreline of the Test.
Roman finds, including roof tiles, hypocaust central heating fragments and
pottery were found mainly around the site of the Spa Tavern. The archaeologists
did not find any sign of a Roman building, but there might have been one nearby.
The archaeology team found evidence of houses being built on the site during
late Saxon times, perhaps about 900 AD. The team found holes in the ground
which were dug to take strong upright timber posts for the walls of wooden
houses. The posts later rotted away, turning to dark soil, leaving only rows of
‘postholes’ in the ground. In one case they found a gap in the middle of a row,
with double postholes either side of the gap, which could be evidence of a
doorway. The walls would have been filled in with interleaved branches, or wattle.
In most cases the floor would be made of bare earth, but archaeologists found
gravel layers and chalky layers which may have been floor levels.
Layers of natural subsoil, a clay known as
a brick earth, may also indicate clay floor
levels. The wattle walls were also coated,
or daubed, with this clay; which would
gradually disintegrate as the building
decayed. But if the clay is burnt, perhaps
because it is near a fire, it bakes to a soft
brick-like texture. Archaeologists found examples of this ‘burnt daub’, which we
can recognise because of the impressions of the wattle in the clay.
The people who lived in the houses were town dwellers. There is evidence of late
Saxon houses on the site of the Bargate Centre, in Bugle Street and right down
the High Street to the southern end of the medieval town. The evidence found on
the WestQuay site is important because it shows that the town definitely
extended a long way to the north of the town walls, which were built in the
medieval period. A large late Saxon ditch was found in Portland Terrace. A tumble
of rubble at the bottom of the ditch included limestone, flint nodules and re-used
Roman building material, so there may have been a ramshackle wall, or a bank
with a rubbly face, behind the ditch.
The inhabitants of the late Saxon town would have included traders, mariners,
crafts people and servants. They would have bought most of their food at
markets, but probably grew a few vegetables beside their houses and kept a few
animals, such as pigs and chickens. Some of them would farm in the common
fields, which have now become the modern parks.
They sometimes dug deep pits for their rubbish, which gives us clues as to what
they ate given that animal bone is preserved well. Most of their meat came from
cattle, with a smaller amount coming from sheep and pigs. From the WestQuay
site we found evidence that the late Saxon people also ate horse, goat, hare and
fallow, red and roe deer. Other animals eaten included swan, buzzard, crane and
raven. There were also frogs and toads in the rubbish pits, but they were
probably just living there!
In 1066 the Normans invaded England. The doomsday Book of 1086 tells us that
many French people held property in the town. The evidence from WestQuay
shows that only a few people continued to live in this northern part of the town
after the Norman conquest. Most of the houses must have been abandoned and
we have very few finds of pottery from the early medieval period (1066 - 1200)
except from the area near to Above Bar Street. There is a little more evidence for
the high medieval period (1200 – 1350). By the late medieval period (1359 –
1550) there is a lot more evidence that there were a good number of people
living in the area again, probably in houses fronting on to Above Bar. Some of
them were metal workers. Archaeologists have just found clay moulds and a
stone mould for casting buckles. A pit with burning and copper slag has been
identified as a furnace for processing copper ore.
The meat diet was still based on cattle, sheep and pig. They also ate rabbits,
fallow and red deer, conger eels, crow and woodcock. Skinned cats and foxes
have also been found. There is evidence that some glove makers lived in Above
Bar, perhaps the cat skins were used as clothing and the fox skins as trimmings.
There are also bones of rats, mice, hedgehogs and moles, which may have just
been living on site.
In medieval and Tudor times Above Bar was not a shopping street but a suburb,
mainly noted for inns and stables for travellers. A high number of horse bones
from all periods have been recovered from the site. One of the smellier trades
such as metal working and tanning leather, were usually carried out outside the
walled town.
There are about twice as many post-medieval (1550-1750) rubbish pits as there
were late medieval pits. We have found a miniature brass gun dating to this
period.
Southampton briefly became fashionable as a spa, from around 1750. The
mineral water spring was just north of Arundel Tower, within the site of the
development. In Above Bar much rebuilding took place. Gardens were laid out
around the mineral spa and assembly rooms were built where balls and concerts
were held. A pipe clay wig-curler found on site is a reminder of this period.
By mid Victorian times shopping was centered on Above Bar, although hotels,
lodging houses and stables were still present. Several theatres and music halls
were built. The twentieth century brought devastation in the blitz, after which the
current precinct was created.
Information kindly provided by the Archaeology Unit, Southampton City Council
(Tel: 023 80231381)
11. Corporate Responsibility (CR)
What is CR?
The World Business Council for Sustainable Development defines CR as follows:
“The continuing commitment by business to behave in an ethical and
environmentally responsible manner and to contribute to economic
development, while improving the quality of life of the workforce and their
families, as well as that of the local community and society at large”
As a responsible business, WestQuay recognises that our activities involve
factors that, if poorly managed, have a detrimental environmental impact. As
such we are committed to minimising our environmental impact through effective
management of energy, water and waste, and in responsible procurement of
chemicals and solvents used for cleaning and maintenance around the site.
WestQuay has integrated environmental considerations into all aspects of our
day to day operations as part of our commitment to continued improvement in
our environmental performance. This includes integrating environmental issues
into staff training, and raising awareness amongst our staff and retailers of their
environmental obligations.
We also recognise that we have an obligation to adhere to a range of
environmental legislation, policies and standards, and endeavour to meet - and
where possible exceed - their requirements. To ensure a high standard is
maintained, performance is regularly reviewed and reported with targets for
continued improvement being set on an annual basis.
WestQuay is fortunate to be part owned by Hammerson, a leading Real Estate
Investment Trust operating principally in the retail sector. Hammerson strongly
believes that the long term future of business lies in management of existing, and
development of future assets that has a positive or neutral effect on the
environment.
Their own CR objectives are to adopt innovative ways of working and solutions
that reflect a responsible approach to the environmental, social and economic
conditions affecting their activities. As part of their joint venture with GIC,
Hammerson retained full management of WestQuay; as such these values are
passed down to the local level and integrated into our daily work practices.
12. Environmental Policy
Access for all
CR also covers the social and community aspect of business activity. Ease of
access for disabled people and those with impaired mobility is of the highest
priority at WestQuay. A major investment in a comprehensive Shopmobility
scheme has spearheaded the effort to ensure support, assistance and advice are
available during trading hours.
Electronic way-finding for visually impaired people and induction loops for the
hard of hearing have also been installed for use throughout the public mall areas.
These ensure both easy access and a welcoming environment for customers to
enhance the shopping experience for all.
WestQuay requires its retailers to take due notice of the Disability Discrimination
Act and the duties it places on those providing suitable facilities and service so
as not to discriminate against disabled people, and to take “reasonable” steps to
amend practices, policies and procedures that make it impossible or
unreasonably difficult for disabled people to access the retailer’s facilities and
services.
Transport
With 4,000 car parking spaces, WestQuay has the potential to bring a large
volume of extra traffic into the city centre. As such we promote alternative
methods of transport to our staff and customers.
WestQuay is served by 116 buses an hour during peak times that all stop within
metres of the Portland Terrace entrance, with the CityLink bus providing a free
link service to the train station and ferry terminal every 15 minutes.
The centre encourages the use of public transport via computer touchscreens
located throughout the centre which provide customers with up to date public
transport information.
Single occupancy car use is being targeted through the provision of a Travel Plan
which, in addition to promoting the use of public transport as a means of getting
to the centre, also provides information on car sharing and bicycle use. Bicycle
use is encouraged by the provision of secure bicycle stands which are located at
the southern end of the centre.
13. Southampton Geothermal Scheme
The origins
Following the rise of the oil price in the late 1970s, the government set up a
research programme to look into the potential of alternative energy sources for
use in the UK. The programme focused on wind, wave and geothermal aquifers
containing water at a temperature sufficient to provide heating for a number of
buildings.
The City Council formed a partnership with a French-owned energy management
company, and in 1986 the two partners formed the Southampton Geothermal
Heating Company (SGHC). The new company was set up on the basis of a cooperation agreement, with both providing essential components to develop the
geothermal scheme.
The original well, which currently provides about a fifth of the system’s heat input,
operates alongside combined heat and power generators which use conventional
fuels to make electricity. The waste heat from this process is recovered for
distribution through the 11km mains network.
More than 20 major consumers in the city centre are now served by the district
heating scheme. These include WestQuay, the Civic Centre, Southampton
Institute, Grand Harbour Hotel and BBC South Headquarters.
Statistics
The district heating scheme:
•
•
•
•
Delivers more than 30,000 MWh of heat each year
Alongside 4,000 MWh of electricity sold from the generating plant
Plus 1,200 MWh of power providing chilled water ‘on tap’
And serves 20 major consumers in Southampton
Circulating water is pumped around the city:
•
•
•
•
Through 11km of insulated service pipe
Within a 2km radius of the heat station
With just 0.5°C/km in temperature loss
Offers substantial capital and operating cost saving to all consumers.
The Scheme
The district heating system in Southampton closely resembles a huge domestic
central heating system. Hot, treated water circulates underground from the heat
station to a growing number of customers in the city centre and is then returned
for re-heating.
Southampton’s well is more than a mile deep. The temperature of the water is
76°C at its source and two degrees less by the time it reaches the surface. The
water rises naturally within the well to within 100 metres of the surface. It is then
pumped to the heat station.
Over the years, the most important development has been the addition of the
combined heat and power (CJP) generators to the geothermal network. The
chilling system circulates cooled water from the heat station through additional
insulated mains, which serve WestQuay. A chilled water ‘ring main’ enables
WestQuay retailers to meet their air conditioning needs via this unique initiative.
14. Charitable Partnership
In May 2002, WestQuay launched a unique partnership with three charities. The
partnership was set up with a view to developing and promoting fundraising
opportunities and events within the centre.
Each year, WestQuay staff select a national, a regional and a local charity that
they will support over the coming year. Through collections and activities at the
centre, the combined efforts of the Charitable Partnership will go towards
promoting the work of the individual charities, give WestQuay staff opportunities
to become involved and raise awareness amongst WestQuay visitors.
15. Career Opportunities
WestQuay 2000
WestQuay 2000 was a training and employment partnership between
Hammerson, Southampton City Council, Employment Service and Southampton
City College aimed at maximizing job opportunities and increasing skill levels for
local people. The partnership was created for the opening of WestQuay.
WestQuay aims to continue maximizing these job opportunities through the
support and sponsorship of local job fairs, allowing people the chance to find out
more about the careers in retail and catering on offer at WestQuay.
How do I get a job?
All WestQuay vacancies are listed on the touchscreen kiosks within the centre
and on our website which is www.west-quay.co.uk
Application forms are available from the info@WestQuay desk on Upper
Shopping, or you can apply online. Vacancies are also distributed to colleges and
employment initiative offices in Southampton.
Once an application form has been completed it is forwarded to WestQuay Retail
Liaison and then to the retailer.
16. Awards
Since opening in September 2000, WestQuay has won many prestigious awards
including the RICS Regeneration award, Purple Apple Overall Marketing
Campaign, Purple Apple Best Advertising Campaign, Best
New Car Park and Visitor Attraction award for South
Hampshire.
February 2000
September 2000
June 2001
Marketing Award
Destination Southampton
Secured Car Park Award
Police
Best High Street Development
Property Week
July 2001
August 2001
October 2001
December 2001
February 2002
February 2002
February 2002
February 2002
February 2003
March 2004
September 2004
February 2005
April 2005
April 2006
April 2006
March 2007
March 2007
March 2007
Opening, Refurbishment & Major Re-launch
Purple Apple, BCSC
Cobra Car Park Safety Award
Police (regional)
European Week for Safety & Health
Best New Centre
BCSC
Regeneration Award
RICS
Best New Car Park & Overall Winner
British Parking Awards
Secured Car Park Awards
Police
Visitor Attraction Awards, South Hampshire
Destination Southampton
Winner of Overall Marketing Campaign
Purple Apple, BCSC
Services to Disability Award
Destination Southampton
Tom Hillyer Award
National Shopmobility Federation
Best Advertising Campaign Merit Award
BCSC Purple Apple Awards
Safe Car Park Award
Park Mark
Southampton Centre for Independent Living, Access all areas Readers
Award 2006
Southern Daily Echo
Safe Car Park Award
Park Mark
Achieving Customer Excellence (ACE) Award Winner 40,000-80,000 sq m
Category
BCSC ACE Awards
Achieving Customer Excellence ‘Top ACE’ Overall Award Winner
BCSC ACE Awards
Effective Management of Off-street Parking – Commendation
British Parking Association
17. How to get to WestQuay, Southampton
WestQuay is signposted from the M3, M27 and M271 junctions. Extensive
highway improvements ensure smooth and easy access for vehicles. This
includes a new carriageway link between Mountbatten Way and West Quay
Road, as well as the upgrading of West Quay Road to dual carriageway.
Regular bus, coach & rail services all lead to WestQuay, supplemented by ferry
and air. There is a free dedicated WestQuay Shuttle bus, the CityLink, linking
Southampton’s Central rail station and ferry terminal to the centre. Touchscreens
throughout the centre provide transport information and links to the ‘Romanse’
system, which contains up to the minute information on roads and public
transport services.
Parking and Access
The centre provides 4,000 car parking spaces for customers including a
comprehensive Shopmobility service. There are three footbridges linking the
centre to surrounding car parks for easy access. In total, there are 7,000 car
parking spaces within 5 minutes walking distance.
WestQuay’s Arundel Circus entrance in Portland Terrace has become a public
transport interchange providing drop off points for easy access to the rest of
Southampton. Cyclists can access the centre through dedicated routes and cycle
stands are provided.
Address:
WestQuay Management Suite
8 – 10 Portland Terrace
Southampton
Hampshire
SO14 7EG
Tel: 023 8023 6789
Fax: 023 80635 615
Acknowledgements
WestQuay would like to thank:
Southampton City Council
John Lewis Partnership
Marks & Spencer
Sir Robert McAlpine
Southampton City Council is working in partnership with Hammerson with the
overall aim of maintaining Southampton’s position as the regional capital of the
South Coast. The City Council is focusing on ensuring WestQuay achieves the
best economic strategic and social benefit for the people of Southampton and
their future. It is also the planning authority and had provided part of the land on
which the development took place.