Is this the UK’s saddest shopping centre…? Mall has just ONE store left full of empty streets covered in graffiti
THIS could well be the saddest shopping centre in the UK.
With graffiti-covered walls, abandoned window displays and just one store left, St Catherine’s Place in Bedminster, Bristol, is a ghost town.
Over the last 20 years, the once-thriving mall has seen a slow decline.
It used to be home to popular outlets like The Works, Shoe Zone and the British Heart Foundation, as well as an independent florist and café.
But by 2018 there were just six shops left, which dropped to three in 2020.
Now, after Iceland closed in February this year, all that remains is a Farm Foods.
The quiet frozen chain sits alongside rows of boarded up units.
Old wires hang from the ceiling, graffiti covers the walls and roof, and bird poo coats the ground.
Paint also peels from corrugated metal sheets and bollards, and colourful window displays appear faded.
One man grumbled to BristolWorld in February: “It’s a ghost town around here.”
Local couple John and Margaret added: “You’ve only got Farm Foods left and you have to wonder how long will that will be here for.
“We actually walked here today and counted the empty stores on the way – it is getting grim for businesses.”
There are plans to refurbish the centre, transforming it into a housing block with several restaurants and shops.
But its future remains in doubt, as a proposed cinema was declined and no progress has been made in the last two years, BristolLive reports.
A spokesperson for developer Firmstone said: “St Catherine’s Place will play a key role in the regeneration of East Street, Bedminster.
“We have a vision to revitalise this neglected part of Bedminster by building new homes, creating vibrant new public spaces and frontages, and promoting a more positive future for the local residents.”
Work is already underway for student accommodation next door.