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Shopping centre expansion forges ahead

6:22pm Friday 19th March 2010 in


THE first phase of building work on the expansion of a Witney shopping centre has been finished.

Work to add 23,500sq ft of new shopping space to the Woolgate Shopping Centre started in October.

This week, the car park was completed and the project is now in line to be finished by the autumn.

Shopping centre manager Rodney Hartnell said: “The major car park work has now been completed and we would like to thank users for their patience.”

The Woolgate’s owner, Universities Superannuation Scheme Ltd (USS), has signed a deal with fashion retailer Next to occupy the main part of the extension.

It will also provide a larger two-storey store for household goods retailer Cargo and accommodation for another shop, which has not yet been confirmed.

Neil Hardiman, USS’s development manager, said: “We are extremely pleased with the progress made by the contractors.

“The construction programme remains on target and we look forward to the new Next and Cargo stores opening later this year. We are receiving encouraging interest from a number of quality retailers who would be new to Witney.”

The car park alterations include a new square with 10 extra disabled parking bays and new parent and child parking spaces, close to the Waitrose store and main shopping centre entrance.

Michael Lynes, of Michael Lynes Jewellery in the shopping centre, said: “I think it’s fantastic news.

“If you walk around you can look at what has been done to the car park and how much easier it is already.

“Once we get Next it will be absolutely wonderful for an independent trader like me.”

Colin Jackson, manager of H Samuel, said: “I think the new square that they have done for the disabled, and the parent parking, is really nice.”

witney@oxfordmail.co.uk

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Comments(5)

waylander_2 says...
7:48pm Fri 19 Mar 10

Not that I dont think Disabled drivers need their own parking spaces but I counted 35 Disabled spaces, half of which were empty and only 11 parent and child spaces which people like me were fighting to get into. Sainsburys is the same parents fighting to get into a small number of spaces and many, many of the disabled ones empty. Could some of them be designated Disabled/Parent bays ???

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Steve Jay says...
7:17pm Sat 20 Mar 10

waylander: I realise that parent and child spaces can be scarce but disabled spaces are not an equivalent. Not so long ago, parents with small children used to have to manage in 'normal' sized spaces. Now supermarkets have identified that this was not sufficient and accommodated them as best they can. This is now seen as a 'right'. People who are unable to walk far do not equate to people with children and the minimal problem of getting them out of a car. With reference to Sainbury's in Witney, this car park (at least when I visit it) has many parents parking in the disabled section and often leaves me (and others) unable to park a sufficient distance from the store, hence the perceived 'right'. I lived many years being able-bodied and never parked in a disabled space. Now that I have that need, I notice so many transgressions from the parents, to the idle and those that consider their car to be too valuable to park anywhere else that it leads to many confrontations almost daily.

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waylander_2 says...
11:18am Sun 21 Mar 10

Steve, I have never parked in a disabled space and never would and I am certainly not "idle" I was only commenting on the fact of the waste of the Disabled spaces as they are mostly empty. I do appreciate the Parent spaces that are provided I just think having so many empty Disabled ones is a waste and SOME could be utilised for both.

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Steve Jay says...
12:22pm Sun 21 Mar 10

As I stated previously.........d
isabled bays might 'seemingly' be similar to parent and child bays but serve two different purposes. There may well be a time in the day when they are not fully utilised. But, and this is the important part, they may be required at any time and it is not the 'right' of anyone else to use them thinking they are redundant. This causes more and more to be used by same-minded parents until there are none available for the disabled driver - as can be seen in Witney Sainsbury's. I'm sure the sizeable problem of getting children out of a car is entirely the same as people with severe difficulties walking longer distances. Classic selfish attitude.

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waylander_2 says...
6:58pm Sun 21 Mar 10

Well Steve after caring for people with severe learning disabilities and life limitting illnesses for over 16 years I probably know more about peoples limitations than you ever will. I am entitled to make a coment or observation without personel insults from someone like you who does not know me never will know me, what I do or what I have done.

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