West Orchards announce re-opening date and new safety guidelines

The measures will aid social distancing



West Orchards has today announced they will be re-opening on Monday, June 15.

People will be allowed back inside the centre but there will be a several changes as to how people will be able to access and use the shops available.

Customers will notice differences from the moment they arrive at the centre, including if they choose to travel by car and park in the West Orchards car park.

Cones will be placed in the car park meaning cars will have to park one space apart from one another, to allow for social distancing.

Staff at West Orchards have also said there will be a limit on the number of people that can access the shopping centre at any one time.

Based on the size of the centre, they have estimated only 977 people will be allowed in at once.

Once inside, there will be signs on both the floors and the walls, reminding people to social distance and to ensure only one household is using each lift at a time.

There will be designated entrances and exits, allowing a flow of people to move in one direction around the centre, to aid social distancing.

Barriers have been put in place to stop people breaking the designated floor pattern.

Hand sanitiser pumps have also been put in place so people can always access one nearby.

Upon the initial re-opening, not all shops will be open, as this is dependant on each business and whether they are ready to open their doors.

From Monday June 1, you will be able to access a list of all the shops and businesses open for trade in the city centre and this will be regularly updated.

Shops providing non-essential services have been given the green light to re-open by the government from June 15 as coronavirus restrictions are gradually lifted.

I'll not bother.

Somehow I can't see Debenhams reopening?

Also, since there are so many entrances and exits, how will they count how many are inside? "Nine-hundred and seventy-four, nine-hundred and seventy-five, nine-hundred and... Oh bugger! I'll have to start again now!"

New owners for West Orchards after £4.85m auction sale



West Orchards Shopping Centre in Coventry will be run under new owners after the leasehold sold at auction for £4.85 million.

An unnamed London-based investor acquired the city centre attraction below the guide price of £5.5m when it went to auction this week.

The 219,503 sq ft site on Smithford Way was reportedly valued at £37m just eight years ago.

West Orchards is said to have brought in a footfall of 7.1 million in 2019 but trading in retail nationally has proved difficult in the past year due to the coronavirus pandemic.

It lost one of its two flagship stores when Debenhams went into administration in November and its remaining flagship store Marks and Spencer holds a lease which expires in 2087.

Tenants Peacocks and Bonmarché also fell into administration during the pandemic.

But the council said the sale demonstrates “confidence” in Coventry and hope to work with the new owners to ‘get the best out of an important city centre site’.

The leasehold was put up for auction by RDI, who held two 99-year leases from Coventry City Council which began in 1988.

The site, which recently underwent a £2m refurbishment of the food hall in 2017, includes a 563-space car park which is owned by the council.