This is Waterlooville, the town where I live, as it used to be. The photo is dated around the 50s or 60s. In 1985 the local planners deemed it to be a good idea to pedestrianize this road. The heart and soul of the town has all but dried up. All of the original stores have long gone and other than the banks, few of the major chains are interested in coming here. Despite the additional 2500 homes soon to be built to the west of the town.
The A3 has been diverted around the town centre and now serves to separate the town into two unique shopping areas. Current plans underway will only serve to further divide the town. Already Waitrose have stated that the opening of the new Sainsbury’s store will probably drive them and their small store out of the town.
Within the last year or so it was decided that the tired shopping centre was in need of a makeover, what was required was nice pastel shades and in addition some strange artistic shapes were introduced. The end result, to my mind, would have been considered modern back when this photo was taken.
Now, Waterlooville seems to be moving to a cafe culture with numerous coffee shops, cafes and very soon Wetherspoons will be opening the third pub. ALthough I think that is something of a mixed blessing since it is opening almost next door to the Heroes. It remains to be seen if the Heroes can compete with the Wetherspoons business model.
In the meantime the stores that would encourage passing trade for the food/drink establishments are slowly dying a death.
Don’t misread my intentions. I am not against change. What I am bemoaning, is what I believe to be mistakes by the planners. Yes the A3 needed to be diverted to resolve the traffic problems but was it necessary to take away the passing trade. The old road could have had traffic calming to prevent it becoming a rat run and still allowed folks to access the shops. However, the way it was done and the subsequent planning decisions regarding the Retail Park and the Wilkinson/Waitrose area have served only to destroy the heart of the town. The dual carriageway separates the town centre from the retail park. The Wilkinson/Waitrose area seems like a separate shopping centre with its back to Waterlooville. The proposed new Sainsbury’s soon to be built at the western end of the Retail Park is just going to drag shoppers away from the town centre especially with the addition of a new petrol station. It remains to be seen how this will all pan out.
Personally I don’t hold out much hope for Waterlooville Town Centre.
WrAnTz 