The Ridings Centre
Main entrance on Westgate precinct opposite Wakefield Cathedral | |
| Location | Wakefield, England WF1 1DS |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 53°40′56″N 1°29′48″W / 53.682149°N 1.496791°W |
| Opening date | 17 October 1983 |
| Owner | Zahid Iqbal |
| Stores and services | 80 |
| Anchor tenants | 5 |
| Floors | 3 |
| Parking | 1,070 spaces |
| Website | www |
The Ridings Shopping Centre is an indoor shopping centre in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, England. It opened on 17 October 1983. The pioneering centre was a UK first and subsequently served as a template for many shopping centres throughout the UK.
Demolition and redevelopment
On 5 February 2026, it was announced that the shopping centre would be demolished and replaced with a £17.9 million re-development project called Cathedral Quarter which will include 1,000 homes, green spaces, a cinema, cafes, extensive car parking and the museum and library which will move from the Wakefield One building. As part of the plan, the four tower blocks that sit above the building which are owned by social housing company Vico Homes will also be demolished.
The council originally backed out of a deal to buy the centre in 2023, before it was bought by Zahid Iqbal, who has now agreed to sell it for an undisclosed amount.
Development will be led by regeneration specialist Muse, which said it plans to build 1,000 new sustainable, affordable and private homes on the site. The project is expected to take 10 years to complete, with no date set for the closure and demolition of the shopping centre but is estimated to be around Autumn 2028.
Businesses within the centre have been told the council will help them find alternative premises if they want to stay in Wakefield.
Wakefield Councils cabinet met on 17 February 2026 to review plans for the “Cathedral Quarter” project and the council have now agreed to buy the site.
The council met up again with the cabinet on 17th March 2026 after a reconsideration with councillors and local people backing out of the demolition but the council and the cabinet have now agreed to give the green light for the demolition to go-ahead.
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c701p0xwk0vo
Stores and services
The Ridings Centre covers an area of 319,000 square feet (29,600 m2) and has an estimated annual footfall of 11 million.[1] The centre contains a number of retailers such as Boots, Marks & Spencer, Morrisons, Primark as well as a number of independent stores. The centre has three car parks (each assigned a colour) including three multi-storeys and a rooftop car park.
A five-screen Reel Cinema opened in the centre in 2019.[2]
Last month, Marks & Spencer announced it would be moving out of The Ridings and opening a new food hall on the outskirts of the city centre.
It is also understood that Primark plans to relocate from the centre to another part of the city later this year.
This is due to the later closure and demolition of the shopping centre that is due to happen in Autumn 2028.
History
The Ridings Centre opened on 17 October 1983. It included construction of a large complex to house the upper and middle malls along with the blue and red car parks. In addition to this, an existing open shopping precinct on Kirkgate originally opened in 1972 was roofed and extensively updated to become the lower mall, and the existing Almhouse Lane multi-storey was adapted to become the green car park.[3] It was the first of its kind in the UK, containing features such as a food court inspired by shopping centres in the United States and its major popularity upon opening meant there were queues even to enter the centre.[4]
The centre was extensively refurbished in 2008 at a cost of £2.5 million. The improvements included a redesign of the centre's entrances as well as new lifts (replacing the original glass wall-climber lift that was the first in the UK).[5]
The Ridings Centre was purchased in 2015 by NewRiver.[6] This was followed by a £5 million renovation in 2017 which included a new food court (since closed) and space for 'pop-up' shops.[7]
The centre was then later sold to Zahid Iqbal in 2023, who planned to refurbish the centre by demolishing the Kirkgate entrance in 2024 but work was paused after it was announced that Wakefield Council wanted to buy the centre after being granted £10.9 million to demolish the full centre and redevelop it into a new project called Cathedral Quarter.
Awards
- The Ridings Centre won the award for 'European Shopping Centre Of The Year' on numerous occasions.[8]
- In 2018 the centre won the Revo Purple Apple Marketing Awards, obtaining a Golden Apple Award.[9]
Transport connections
The Ridings Centre is located near Wakefield Westgate and Wakefield Kirkgate railway stations as well as Wakefield Bus Station. The centre is located near the A61 and the M1. Arriva Yorkshire have their headquarters and main depot located in Wakefield, on the A61, next to the Hepworth Gallery. Arriva are the owners and managers of Wakefield Bus Station.
References
- ^ "The Ridings Shopping Centre". NewRiver REIT. Retrieved 5 May 2020.
- ^ "New Family Friendly Reel Cinema Opens In Wakefield City Centre". Yorkshire Business Daily. 19 August 2019. Retrieved 9 July 2020.
- ^ "Ridings Shopping Centre The Heart of Shopping in Wakefield" (PDF). truenorthbooks. Retrieved 15 May 2020.
- ^ "Landmark Shopping Centre Celebrates 30 Years". Yorkshire Post. 17 October 2013. Retrieved 1 April 2020.
- ^ Gatehouse, David (17 September 2013). "Ridings Shopping Centre Celebrates 30 Years". bdaily. Retrieved 14 May 2020.
- ^ "Ridings Shopping Centre Sold to NewRiver". Yorkshire Post. 23 December 2015. Retrieved 20 March 2020.
- ^ "Details of £5million Revamp of Wakefield Shopping Centre Revealed". ITV News. 19 April 2017. Retrieved 24 March 2020.
- ^ "Wakefield History-Things You Might Not Know". manningstainton.co.uk. Retrieved 8 May 2020.
- ^ "The Ridings Centre Win National Award". wakefieldfirst.com. 23 May 2018. Retrieved 9 May 2020.
Wakefield’s Ridings Shopping Centre to be demolished https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c701p0xwk0vo
- ^ "The Ridings Shopping Centre Celebrates 30 Years". BBC Look North. 16 October 2013. Retrieved 11 May 2020.