Cwmbran Shopping Centre
Encyclopedia
Cwmbran Shopping Centre is the second largest shopping centre
in Wales
. It is located in Cwmbran
, Torfaen
. Unlike some large shopping centres on the outskirts of towns and cities, Cwmbran Town Shopping Centre is in its own designated area in the centre of all the districts and neighbourhoods surrounding it.
The Development Corporation prepared a Master Plan for the development of the New Town which resulted in the creation of the original seven neighbourhoods which contained some local services, and housing and were located within easy reach of the Town Centre. The early years of the New Town were dominated by housebuilding with a lack of services for the town. It was not until 1959 that construction of the central retail began despite the fact that considerations of its design began in 1951. The Town Centre was developed as a purpose built central area by the Development Corporation and the Town Centre has been the focal point for retail development in Torfaen since its inception as a New Town.
Gwent Square was the first area to be constructed. In 1964, David Evans opened - this was the largest department store in Cwmbran at the time. By the late 1960s the area surrounding Gwent Square was built upon. General Rees Square was named after General Wynford Rees, a Commander of the British Indian Army, Deputy Lieutenant of Monmouthsire and First Manager of the Cwmbran Development Corporation. He died in 1959 and so was unable to see the Town Centre fully completed. In 1972 the Congress Theatre was built alongside Gwent House in Gwent Square.
Further expansions followed in the late 70s and early 80s. By 1986, Cwmbran had reached its target popualtion and the town centre was under pressure from overcrowding. The completion and opening of Cwmbran Drive in March 1988 saw the disbandment of Cwmbran Development Corporation and all assets and future projects were handed over to Torfaen County Borough Council. In the early 1990s, Cwmbran Retail Park (originally Lock Gate Retail Park) was built to the west of Cwmbran Drive and the Town Centre, making more room for business and economic growth.
Cwmbran Town Centre is owned by Prudential
and houses some of the most famous "High Street
shops" in the UK. Since its inception, the centre has been extended several times and many of the shop units have changed hands. As of 2006 the largest unit is occupied by Asda
. The unit was built in 2000 in the northwest corner of the centre on the site formerly occupied by the old Swalec
offices, the original J. Sainsbury's supermarket, the health centre, and the Dyfed House office block, amongst others.
In 2008, Leisure @ Cwmbran opened in the north-east corner of the Town Centre on Glyndwr Road. It hosts a cinema, bowling complex, Indian restaurant, Italian restaurant, Gravy Train, Delilah's Cocktail Bar and a children's crèche.
As of August 2011, plans have been approved for an extension to the south-east of the Town Centre. A new supermarket, hotel and office block will be built upon wasteland on Grange Road, south of the Arvin Meritor factory. Construction is to commence January 2012.
The centre also houses other main shopping retailers including but not limited to: Argos
; Barclays; Blockbuster Video; The Body Shop
; Burtons; Dorothy Perkins
; F. Hinds
; HMV
; House of Fraser
; HSBC
; Iceland
; KFC
; Marks and Spencer; Matalan
; McDonald's
; NatWest; New Look
; Pizza Hut
; Post Office
; River Island
; H. Samuel
; Somerfield
; Superdrug
; Topman
/Topshop
; Wetherspoon's (The John Fielding
);WHSmith and Wilkinson
.
The centre is also home to Cwmbran Library; Cwmbran's Citizens Advice Bureau
; 'Scene' Cinema; the Congress Theatre and some civil service offices. Outside of the centre other retailers have taken advantage of its presence by locating their businesses there. Sainsbury's; Homebase
; B&Q
; Next
; Pets at Home
; Lidl
& Aldi
are all within walking distance of the shopping centre.
Cwmbran Shopping Centre is a popular shopping destination as it is mostly under cover and has over two thousand free car parking spaces - all within walking distance of the shops. Cwmbran's main bus station is located in Gwent Square and Cwmbran railway station
is situated north-east of the town centre on Somerset Road.
Shopping mall
A shopping mall, shopping centre, shopping arcade, shopping precinct or simply mall is one or more buildings forming a complex of shops representing merchandisers, with interconnecting walkways enabling visitors to easily walk from unit to unit, along with a parking area — a modern, indoor version...
in Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
. It is located in Cwmbran
Cwmbran
Cwmbrân is a new town in Wales. Today forming part of the county borough of Torfaen and lying within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire, Cwmbrân was established in 1949 to provide new employment opportunities in the south eastern portion of the South Wales Coalfield. Cwmbrân means Crow...
, Torfaen
Torfaen
Torfaen is a county borough in Wales within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire. It was originally formed in 1974 as a district of the county of Gwent and in 1996 it was reconstituted as a unitary authority.-Education:...
. Unlike some large shopping centres on the outskirts of towns and cities, Cwmbran Town Shopping Centre is in its own designated area in the centre of all the districts and neighbourhoods surrounding it.
The Development Corporation prepared a Master Plan for the development of the New Town which resulted in the creation of the original seven neighbourhoods which contained some local services, and housing and were located within easy reach of the Town Centre. The early years of the New Town were dominated by housebuilding with a lack of services for the town. It was not until 1959 that construction of the central retail began despite the fact that considerations of its design began in 1951. The Town Centre was developed as a purpose built central area by the Development Corporation and the Town Centre has been the focal point for retail development in Torfaen since its inception as a New Town.
Gwent Square was the first area to be constructed. In 1964, David Evans opened - this was the largest department store in Cwmbran at the time. By the late 1960s the area surrounding Gwent Square was built upon. General Rees Square was named after General Wynford Rees, a Commander of the British Indian Army, Deputy Lieutenant of Monmouthsire and First Manager of the Cwmbran Development Corporation. He died in 1959 and so was unable to see the Town Centre fully completed. In 1972 the Congress Theatre was built alongside Gwent House in Gwent Square.
Further expansions followed in the late 70s and early 80s. By 1986, Cwmbran had reached its target popualtion and the town centre was under pressure from overcrowding. The completion and opening of Cwmbran Drive in March 1988 saw the disbandment of Cwmbran Development Corporation and all assets and future projects were handed over to Torfaen County Borough Council. In the early 1990s, Cwmbran Retail Park (originally Lock Gate Retail Park) was built to the west of Cwmbran Drive and the Town Centre, making more room for business and economic growth.
Cwmbran Town Centre is owned by Prudential
Prudential plc
Prudential plc is a multinational financial services company headquartered in London, United Kingdom.Prudential's largest division is Prudential Corporation Asia, which has over 15 million customers across 13 Asian markets and is a top-three provider of life insurance in mainland China, Hong...
and houses some of the most famous "High Street
High Street
High Street, or the High Street, is a metonym for the generic name of the primary business street of towns or cities, especially in the United Kingdom. It is usually a focal point for shops and retailers in city centres, and is most often used in reference to retailing...
shops" in the UK. Since its inception, the centre has been extended several times and many of the shop units have changed hands. As of 2006 the largest unit is occupied by Asda
Asda
Asda Stores Ltd is a British supermarket chain which retails food, clothing, general merchandise, toys and financial services. It also has a mobile telephone network, , Asda Mobile...
. The unit was built in 2000 in the northwest corner of the centre on the site formerly occupied by the old Swalec
SWALEC
SWALEC was an electricity supply and distribution company which was bought out in 1996 for £872m following the de-regulation of the electricity supply industry in the UK....
offices, the original J. Sainsbury's supermarket, the health centre, and the Dyfed House office block, amongst others.
In 2008, Leisure @ Cwmbran opened in the north-east corner of the Town Centre on Glyndwr Road. It hosts a cinema, bowling complex, Indian restaurant, Italian restaurant, Gravy Train, Delilah's Cocktail Bar and a children's crèche.
As of August 2011, plans have been approved for an extension to the south-east of the Town Centre. A new supermarket, hotel and office block will be built upon wasteland on Grange Road, south of the Arvin Meritor factory. Construction is to commence January 2012.
The centre also houses other main shopping retailers including but not limited to: Argos
Argos (retailer)
Argos is the largest general-goods retailer in the United Kingdom and Ireland with over 800 stores. It is unique amongst major retailers in the UK in that it is a catalogue merchant...
; Barclays; Blockbuster Video; The Body Shop
The Body Shop
The Body Shop International plc, known as The Body Shop, has 2,400 stores in 61 countries, and is the second largest cosmetic franchise in the world, following O Boticario, a Brazilian company...
; Burtons; Dorothy Perkins
Dorothy Perkins
Dorothy Perkins, whose trading name was inspired by a rambler rose of the same name, is a large British women's clothing retailer, active mostly in the United Kingdom.- History :...
; F. Hinds
F. Hinds
F. Hinds is a jewellery retailing chain, operating in England and Wales. There are currently 110 F Hinds stores within the United Kingdom.The chain is an independent retailer which was founded in 1856 by George Henry Hinds, although his father Joseph was also a clockmaker in Stamford,...
; HMV
HMV
His Master's Voice is a trademark in the music business, and for many years was the name of a large record label. The name was coined in 1899 as the title of a painting of the dog Nipper listening to a wind-up gramophone...
; House of Fraser
House of Fraser
House of Fraser is a British department store group with over 60 stores across the United Kingdom and Ireland. It was established in Glasgow, Scotland in 1849 as Arthur and Fraser. By 1891 it was known as Fraser & Sons. The company grew steadily during the early 20th century, but after the Second...
; HSBC
HSBC Bank (Europe)
HSBC Bank plc is one of the four major clearing banks in the United Kingdom and is a wholly owned subsidiary of HSBC Holdings. The business ranges from the traditional High Street roles of personal finance and commercial banking, to private banking, consumer finance as well as corporate and...
; Iceland
Iceland (supermarket)
Iceland is a supermarket chain in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Iceland's primary product lines include frozen foods, such as frozen prepared meals and frozen vegetables - hence the name of the company...
; KFC
KFC
KFC, founded and also known as Kentucky Fried Chicken, is a chain of fast food restaurants based in Louisville, Kentucky, in the United States. KFC has been a brand and operating segment, termed a concept of Yum! Brands since 1997 when that company was spun off from PepsiCo as Tricon Global...
; Marks and Spencer; Matalan
Matalan
Matalan is a British retailer that specialises in shoes and clothes. It was founded by John Hargreaves in 1985. It currently has 200 stores across the UK. The 200th store opened on 22 September 2006 in Croydon...
; McDonald's
McDonald's
McDonald's Corporation is the world's largest chain of hamburger fast food restaurants, serving around 64 million customers daily in 119 countries. Headquartered in the United States, the company began in 1940 as a barbecue restaurant operated by the eponymous Richard and Maurice McDonald; in 1948...
; NatWest; New Look
New Look (store)
New Look is a British global fashion retailer with a chain of high street shops in Britain, Belgium, France, The Netherlands, Republic of Ireland, Malta, Singapore and the United Arab Emirates.-History:...
; Pizza Hut
Pizza Hut
Pizza Hut is an American restaurant chain and international franchise that offers different styles of pizza along with side dishes including pasta, buffalo wings, breadsticks, and garlic bread....
; Post Office
Post office
A post office is a facility forming part of a postal system for the posting, receipt, sorting, handling, transmission or delivery of mail.Post offices offer mail-related services such as post office boxes, postage and packaging supplies...
; River Island
River Island
River Island is one of Britain's best known high street fashion brands and can be found in most cities across the UK. The brand also has stores in Singapore, Turkey, Poland, Ireland, the Netherlands, and the Middle East.-History:...
; H. Samuel
H. Samuel
H. Samuel is a mass-market jewellery chain, operating in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. It is the number one middle mass-market jewellery store in the United Kingdom. There are 375 stores as at 23rd Feb 2008. An increasing number of the chain's stores trade in a new format known...
; Somerfield
Somerfield
Somerfield was a chain of small to medium sized supermarkets operating in the United Kingdom. The company was taken over by the Co-operative Group on 2 March 2009 in a £1.57 billion deal, creating the UK's fifth largest food retailer. The name is currently being phased out and replaced by the...
; Superdrug
Superdrug
Superdrug Stores PLC is Britain's second-largest beauty and health retailer behind Boots. Superdrug - part of the AS Watson Group which in turn is part of the Hong Kong conglomerate Hutchison Whampoa - is a UK based company with over 890 stores, which since 2006, includes the Republic of Ireland...
; Topman
Topman
TOPMAN is the stand-alone fashion business counterpart of Topshop that caters exclusively to men’s clothing. A part of the Arcadia Group, which also owns Burton, Miss Selfridge, Wallis, Evans, British Home Stores and Dorothy Perkins, Topman has a chain of high-street men's clothing stores located...
/Topshop
Topshop
Topshop is a British clothes retailer with shops in over 20 countries and online operations in a number of its markets. Its sales come primarily from women's clothing and fashion accessories...
; Wetherspoon's (The John Fielding
John Williams (VC)
John Williams VC , was a Welsh recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces....
);WHSmith and Wilkinson
Wilkinson (shop)
Wilkinson or Wilko is a British high-street discount chain with over 300 stores, selling primarily homewares and household goods.Founded in 1930 Wilkinson Cash Stores by James Kemsey Wilkinson, the company has remained largely in the hands of the founding family since...
.
The centre is also home to Cwmbran Library; Cwmbran's Citizens Advice Bureau
Citizens Advice Bureau
A Citizens Advice Bureau is one of a network of independent charities throughout the UK that give free, confidential information and advice to help people with their money, legal, consumer and other problems....
; 'Scene' Cinema; the Congress Theatre and some civil service offices. Outside of the centre other retailers have taken advantage of its presence by locating their businesses there. Sainsbury's; Homebase
Homebase
Homebase is a British home improvement store and garden centre, with 350 stores across the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. It is well known by its green and orange colour scheme. Together with its sister company Argos , it forms part of Home Retail Group. Homebase recorded sales figures...
; B&Q
B&Q
B&Q plc is a multinational DIY and home improvement retailer headquartered in Eastleigh, United Kingdom. It was founded in 1969 and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Kingfisher plc, which is listed on the London Stock Exchange....
; Next
Next (retailer)
Next plc is a British retailer marketing clothing, footwear, accessories and home products with its headquarters in Enderby, Leicestershire, England. The company has over 550 stores throughout the UK and the Republic of Ireland, and 50 franchise branches in Europe, Asia and the Middle East...
; Pets at Home
Pets at Home
Pets at Home is a large pet supplies retail chain in the United Kingdom. With 300 stores nationwide, it is the largest pet supplies retail chain in the United Kingdom Pets at home currently have over 5000 employees...
; Lidl
Lidl
Lidl is a discount supermarket chain based in Germany that operates over 7,200 stores across Europe. The company's full name is Lidl Stiftung & Co. KG...
& Aldi
ALDI
ALDI Einkauf GmbH & Co. oHG, doing business as ', short for "Albrecht Discount", is a discount supermarket chain based in Germany...
are all within walking distance of the shopping centre.
Cwmbran Shopping Centre is a popular shopping destination as it is mostly under cover and has over two thousand free car parking spaces - all within walking distance of the shops. Cwmbran's main bus station is located in Gwent Square and Cwmbran railway station
Cwmbran railway station
Cwmbran railway station is situated in the northeast of Cwmbran town centre within five minutes walking distance. It is part of the British railway system owned by Network Rail and is operated by Arriva Trains Wales. It lies on the Welsh Marches Line line from Newport to Hereford...
is situated north-east of the town centre on Somerset Road.
External links
- http://www.newportshopping.co.uk/ Official Website]
- Cwmbran Shopping Centre on The Retail Database