Merrion Centre Leeds
Encyclopedia
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
is a shopping centre opened in 1964. From construction to the present day the centre has been owned and managed by Town Centre Securities. Originally open air, the centre had since had a roof installed during the 1970s onwards. It is an early example of a mixed-use development including offices, car parking, retail (including a Morrisons
Morrisons
Wm Morrison Supermarkets plc is the fourth largest chain of supermarkets in the United Kingdom, headquartered in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. The company is usually referred to and is branded as Morrisons formerly Morrison's, and it is part of the FTSE 100 Index of companies...
supermarket
Supermarket
A supermarket, a form of grocery store, is a self-service store offering a wide variety of food and household merchandise, organized into departments...
) and entertainment including a bowling alley, a nightclub
Nightclub
A nightclub is an entertainment venue which usually operates late into the night...
and several public houses. Currently most retail in the centre is aimed more towards the budget end of the market which means the centre is especially popular with working class people and students. The Merrion Market area features a range of independent stalls, shops and cafés ranging from mainstream but downmarket to idiosyncratic.
The centre had originally included an Odeon
Odeon Cinemas
Odeon Cinemas is a British chain of cinemas, one of the largest in Europe. It is owned by Odeon & UCI Cinemas Group whose ultimate parent is Terra Firma Capital Partners.-History:Odeon Cinemas was created in 1928 by Oscar Deutsch...
Cinema
Movie theater
A movie theater, cinema, movie house, picture theater, film theater is a venue, usually a building, for viewing motion pictures ....
when it opened, however this closed in 1977 following a screening of Gone with the Wind
Gone with the Wind (film)
Gone with the Wind is a 1939 American historical epic film adapted from Margaret Mitchell's Pulitzer-winning 1936 novel of the same name. It was produced by David O. Selznick and directed by Victor Fleming from a screenplay by Sidney Howard...
. It remains empty and unused to this day only opening occasionally for events such as Heritage Open Days. The cinema inside is notable in the fact that other than the removal of the seating, it is unchanged since closing with original operating manuals and film posters in place and is admired by fans of 1960s and 1970s culture. The ground floor entrance is opposite the entrance to Morrisons and has been blocked up and replaced with Cash Machines.
One of the nightclubs within The Merrion Centre was the now-legendary 'Bar Phono', widely reputed to be the birthplace of the Gothic subculture.
The former Barclays Bank on the front of the Merrion Centre has since been converted into 'Oceana', which has become a new popular Leeds nightclub.
The Merrion Centre is currently undergoing minor refurbishment. The western side of the centre has been re-clad in part and the interior is being painted. New tenants have moved in such as a new Sainsbury's Local
Sainsbury's Local
Sainsbury’s Convenience Stores Ltd is a chain of 343 convenience stores operated by the UK's third largest supermarket chain Sainsbury's. Sainsbury's Local stores have different branding and fascia to the company's supermarkets.-History:In 1998, Sainsbury’s piloted its first Local store in...
. The centre's Morrisons supermarket has been rebranded to fit the company's new corporate image, with minor refurbishment inside. Photographs have been put up inside the supermarket showing the shop in 1973, with photographs depicting amongst other things the tobacco and deli counters.
There are plaques in the floor at each entrance stating "Private property, no public right of way" to prevent the walkthoughs becoming public footpaths.
Woolworths
Woolworths Group
Woolworths Group plc was a listed British company that owned the high-street retail chain, Woolworths, as well as other brands such as the entertainment distributor Entertainment UK and book and resource distributor Bertram Books...
' relocation to the Merrion Centre, from Briggate
Briggate
Briggate is one of the pedestrianised principal shopping streets in central Leeds, England. Most of Leeds' department stores are on Briggate, including the Harvey Nichols branch. It is home to a number of major high street retailers as well as banks, restaurants and cafes. Recently there have been...
(now the 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...
) in the early 1990s provided the centre with another major retailer and increased footfall. The Morrisons in the centre is the main supermarket in the city centre
Leeds City Centre
Leeds city centre is the central business district of Leeds, England. It is within the Leeds Central parliamentary constituency, represented by Hilary Benn as MP since a by-election in 1999...
and has seen a surge in custom since the building of many city centre flats in the property boom of the 2000s. However most of these are towards the southern end of the city centre, and for them the Morrisons in The Penny Hill Centre, Hunslet
Hunslet
Hunslet is an inner-city area in south Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It is south east of the city centre and has an industrial past.Hunslet had many engineering companies based in the district, such as John Fowler & Co...
is nearer and also offers free parking.
Criticisms of the centre's design
- It has been commented that since the centre was fully enclosed in the 1970s, the large open entrances have led to the inner halls becoming something of a wind tunnel.
- The mock Georgian wing of the shopping centre has never been fully occupied since the centre opened, although there are more shops there currently. The positioning of the wing (towards the rear of the shopping centre, down the side of Morrisons) has led to it almost becoming a 'Dead MallDead mallA dead mall or greyfield is a shopping mall with a high vacancy rate or a low consumer traffic level, or that is dated or deteriorating in some manner. Many malls in the United States are considered "dead" when they have no surviving anchor store or successor that could serve as an entry into or...
' at certain times in the centre's history. - Since introducing a smoking banSmoking banSmoking bans are public policies, including criminal laws and occupational safety and health regulations, which prohibit tobacco smoking in workplaces and/or other public spaces...
in January 2007 (in all enclosed areas except the public houses), the ban has been largely ignored. Many other shopping centres have similar experiences. The Horsefair Centre in WetherbyWetherbyWetherby is a market town and civil parish within the metropolitan borough of the City of Leeds, in West Yorkshire, England. It stands on the River Wharfe, and has been for centuries a crossing place and staging post on the Great North Road, being mid-way between London and Edinburgh...
has a similar issue. Both centres are enclosed, however have no doors at the entrances, meaning people are likely to walk in through the street smoking. The experience of 2009 suggests that the ban is now fully observed throughout the Centre. - The entrance onto Merrion Street (probably the most used one) has a fairly steep ramp, making access difficult for some elderly and disabled customers.
- The sunken square towards the rear of the centre has been an unused space since the subway closed in 2000. For many years this had two outdoor escalators, although they soon fell into disrepair after their installation in the early 1970s, and stood for many years unused. They were fenced off for public safety. In 2007 they were replaced with steps.
Praise
- When opened in 1964, the Yorkshire Evening PostYorkshire Evening PostThe Yorkshire Evening Post is a daily evening publication published by Yorkshire Post Newspapers Ltd in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England...
said the centre emulated what every successful large town and city wanted to build. - The centre offers a great deal of variety, boasting a supermarket, many high street shops, a market hall, a hotel, several pubs, bars and a night club as well as a bowling alley and a great deal of office space. The centre offers basic amenities to many in nearby residential areas such as Lovell ParkLovell ParkLovell Park is an inner-city area of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England.Lovell Park along with its adjacent areas Little London and Blenheim, is an area of 1960s high-rise and maisonette council housing situated between the city centre and Sheepscar....
and Little LondonLittle London, LeedsLittle London, along with its adjacent areas Lovell Park and Blenheim, is an area of 1960s high-rise and maisonette council housing in inner-city north Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, situated between the city centre and Sheepscar....
.
The future of the Centre
Much of The Merrion Centre remains almost unchanged since its construction. With many other cities renovating their equivalents of The Merrion Centre (the reconstruction of the Bullring, BirminghamBullring, Birmingham
The Bull Ring is a major commercial area of Birmingham, England. It has been an important feature of Birmingham since the Middle Ages, when its market was first held...
, the Arndale Centre in Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
being partially rebuilt and Eldon Square in Newcastle Upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Historically a part of Northumberland, it is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne...
being renovated), Leeds city centre's
Leeds City Centre
Leeds city centre is the central business district of Leeds, England. It is within the Leeds Central parliamentary constituency, represented by Hilary Benn as MP since a by-election in 1999...
largest shopping centre was beginning to look dated. In June 2007 phase one of the renovation began, concentrating on the western side of the centre.
Trivia
- The Merrion Centre had a subway which linked it to the Woodhouse Lane Car Park, Millennium Square and Leeds Metropolitan UniversityLeeds Metropolitan UniversityLeeds Metropolitan University is a British University with three campuses. Two are situated in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England while the third is situated in Bhopal, India...
. This however has been closed since 2000 with the subway being used as a storage area for Millennium Square events. It is possible to look down into it from Claypit Lane - from here billboards for MorrisonsMorrisonsWm Morrison Supermarkets plc is the fourth largest chain of supermarkets in the United Kingdom, headquartered in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. The company is usually referred to and is branded as Morrisons formerly Morrison's, and it is part of the FTSE 100 Index of companies...
, Kellogg's Frosties and Radio TimesRadio TimesRadio Times is a UK weekly television and radio programme listings magazine, owned by the BBC. It has been published since 1923 by BBC Magazines, which also provides an on-line listings service under the same title...
dating from the early 90s can be seen.
Main tenants
- MorrisonsMorrisonsWm Morrison Supermarkets plc is the fourth largest chain of supermarkets in the United Kingdom, headquartered in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. The company is usually referred to and is branded as Morrisons formerly Morrison's, and it is part of the FTSE 100 Index of companies...
- Home BargainsHome BargainsHome Bargains is a chain of discount stores, offering home bargains, operating throughout the United Kingdom, founded by Tom Morris in Liverpool, England approximately 30 years ago...
- Boots the Chemist
- BirthdaysBirthdays (retailer)Birthdays is a British High Street greeting cards retailer. From its beginning in 1966, Ron Wood Greeting Cards operated as a wholesaler of greeting cards and gift wrap in Bury, Greater Manchester. In the mid 1970s three card shops were opened and soon the number had increased to thirty...
- Sainsburys Local
- PoundstretcherPoundstretcherPoundstretcher is a chain of discount stores operating in the United Kingdom. It is based in Deighton, England, near Huddersfield on the A62.-History:...
- Wilkinson
- SuperdrugSuperdrugSuperdrug 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...
- Holland & BarrettHolland & BarrettHolland & Barrett is a chain of health food shops with over 600 stores in the United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland, South Africa, Singapore and Malta. The company also has stores in The Netherlands, where they trade as "De Tuinen".-Ownership:...
- CooplandsCooplandsCoopland & Son Ltd. is a family-run bakery chain which has stores across North, West and East Yorkshire, offering sandwiches, bread loaves, desserts and cakes. Despite having the same trading name and a similar product range as Cooplands Ltd., the two companies operate individually from each other...
- Greggs the Baker
- ModelZoneModelzoneModelzone Limited is a model and toy retailer based in West Sussex in the United Kingdom. The company has 39 stores, and is the UK's largest model retailer.- Beginnings as Model Aerodrome :...
- Merrion News
- John Scheerer Music
- Yorkshire BankYorkshire BankYorkshire Bank is a commercial bank in England and Wales, a division of Clydesdale Bank, which in turn is a subsidiary of National Australia Bank. It mostly operates in the North of England, especially in Yorkshire. In 2006 underlying profit rose 16.7 per cent to £454 million compared with a...
- Max Spielmann
- KRCS Apple Centre
- eurochange
See also
- Shopping in LeedsShopping in LeedsMost of the retail activity in Leeds, northern England, is contained within central Leeds. The city centre has attracted many upmarket retailers in recent years, including Harvey Nichols, leading to Leeds being dubbed 'Knightsbridge of the North'.-City centre:...
- Architecture in Leeds
External links
Shopping in Leeds
Most of the retail activity in Leeds, northern England, is contained within central Leeds. The city centre has attracted many upmarket retailers in recent years, including Harvey Nichols, leading to Leeds being dubbed 'Knightsbridge of the North'.-City centre:...