The Malls
The Malls opened in 1981 as a council-developed shopping centre, but by the late 1990s, it was already in decline. A 1999 survey ranked it among the worst 15 shopping centres in the UK.
Efforts to revamp The Malls stalled in the early 2000s, and the opening of Festival Place in 2002 drew away much of the footfall, leaving The Malls increasingly vacant.
Although The Malls have since been identified as a priority site in Basingstoke's Town Centre Masterplan, no detailed redevelopment plans have been approved or advanced as of 2025.
Sadly, this challenges isn't unique to Basingstoke - many towns are facing similar struggles. But there are also many inspiring case studies across the UK that show what's possible when communities and councils come together to deliver bold, imaginative regeneration.
UK CASE STUDIES
Stockton-on-Tees: Castlegate Centre to Riverside Park
Stockton council recently took the dramatic step of demolishing its failing 1970s Castlegate Shopping Centre and Swallow Hotel, replacing it with a new multi-million pound urban park.
The council bought the nearly empty Castlegate Shopping Centre in 2019 and, after consulting residents, opted to “put the site to a different use”.
Development is now underway for a “bold urban park” along the High Street and River Tees, including green landscaping, event spaces, play areas and heritage features.
The Riverside Park development will shrink an oversupply of retail floorspace and give the town a new waterfront heart.
Stockton’s radical approach, trading a shopping arcade for a three-times-Trafalgar-Square-sized park, is cited as one of the UK’s most imaginative regeneration schemes.
Expected benefits include increased footfall for remaining shops, space for festivals and outdoor markets, and a more attractive environment drawing people back into the town centre.
NOTTINGHAM: broadmarsh centre t0 green heart mixed-use quarter
Councillors in Nottingham have recently signed off the sale of the former 1970s Broad Marsh shopping mall that now sits derelict having gone bust in 2020.
The site is now being reinvented as a mixed-use district with a central green space following engagement with over 3,000 residents for bold, new ideas.
The Council's 2022 Masterplan - nicknamed the “Green Heart” - has won significant praise for prioritising people over retail and has begun to turn a blighted area into a vibrant community asset. The "Green Heart" will feature over 38 newly planted trees, gardens, a marsh pond and winding paths, providing “a place for locals to enjoy nature” right in the city centre .
The site is also expected to spur investment for the surrounding planned offices, homes and leisure facilities by making the area more appealing .
BARNSLEY: OLD PRECINCT TO THE GLASS WORKS
In the 2000s, Barnsley’s 1970s indoor markets and shopping centre were struggling – an ambitious 2002 regeneration plan had floundered and major retailers were leaving. The Council stepped in, consulted residents, and found people wanted two things: the historic market retained as a focal point, and a public square for community events.
These ideas guided The Glass Works redevelopment. Completed in phases by 2021, The Glass Works is a £200 million scheme that transformed Barnsley’s town centre: it modernized and re-housed the markets, added a cinema, restaurants and shops, and created a new town square for gatherings. A contemporary library and museum was also built, and today the public square regulalry hosts events, bringing cultural life into the centre.
Barnsley now bucks the national trend for footfall and business strength. By the end of 2022, footfall in Barnsley’s centre was only 2% below pre-pandemic levels (versus a 10% gap nationally), and 76% of new shops were surviving beyond three years (up from 44% in 2017).
bolton: Crompton place demolition
Like The Malls, Bolton's Crompton Place was once a retail hub - but by the late 2010s, it had become outdated and largely vacant. In response. Bolton Council purchased the site in 2018 as part of its bold £1 billion town centre regeneration masterplan.
Rather than trying to revive a failing retail model, the council took a new approach and have agreed to demolish the site and replace it with a modern. mixed-use development called bolton Victoria Square.
The project, supported by the UK Government's Future High Streets Fund, aims to reduce retail over-supply, attract new investment, and create a more vibrant town centre that supports work, living and leisure - not just shopping.
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