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New Strand Shopping Centre
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New Strand Shopping Centre
The New Strand Shopping Centre, known locally simply as The Strand, is the main shopping centre in Bootle, Merseyside, England. Opened in 1968, it was part of a larger Bootle redevelopment during this period, which was also complemented by the establishment of the Girobank headquarters in nearby Netherton. The site occupied by the shopping centre was formerly Victorian houses, in streets that were named after American states. The decision on naming the shopping centre was done so via a public competition, with an 11-year-old school girl submitting the winning entry of "New Strand" in 1965. The Strand opened at a cost of £5 million in 1968, in the centenary year of Bootle receiving its municipal charter.
The centre was extended between 1997 and 1998 and completed in November the same year to provide additional retail outlets, as well as additional car-parking facilities and improved transportation to the centre. The Strand centre is widely known for the 1993 abduction of toddler James Bulger, who was taken from the centre by two ten-year-old boys and later murdered.
In October 2014, it was announced that London-based Ellandi had purchased the shopping centre, yet it was sold to Sefton Council just two and a half years later. In 2025, the council approved the first phase of a £20 million regeneration for the shopping centre, to incorporate new community spaces following partial demolition.
During the 1960s, Bootle underwent a major regeneration, with the shopping centre expected to be a highlight of the redevelopment efforts. In October 1961, the town's development plan was approved, and the council granted permission for the compulsory purchase of property on Stanley Road. The council had previously appointed shopping consultants in 1956 to advise on the necessary improvements, with a particular focus on the Strand Road-Stanley Road area. The consultants found that facilities were "inadequate," with a danger to pedestrians and insufficient parking available. The area identified for redevelopment was already part of a slum clearance program. Despite considering other sites, the Stanley Road-Strand Road location was ultimately chosen due to its significant redevelopment needs and its potential to create a new retail shopping centre strategically located near a railway station and easily accessible to the wider Merseyside region. Mr T. H. Pigot of the Bootle No 1 Objectors Association believed that Linacre Lane would have been a more suitable location, but accepted that transport connections in the region were inadequate.
Due to the need to compulsory purchase existing property, a public inquiry was held in 1962 by Mr M. B. Tetlow for the Ministry of Housing and Local Government. At the second day of the inquiry, William Roots MP noted that the shopping district present on Stanley Road did not meet modern standards, as the area's shops were primarily old property conversions that had failed to keep up with the times. The Bootle Traders' Association expressed concerns that the higher rents charged in the new centre could "squeeze the smaller trader against the wall," causing instability to existing smaller traders and the risk of liquidation. A Bootle estate agent and surveyor told the inquiry that the main shopping region of the area should be improved rather than redeveloped, citing concerns over rent costs which in the proposed shopping centre "would be more than double the existing rents for property in the area", expressing concerns this could drive away local traders in favour of national chains.
Approval for the scheme was expected imminently during a press conference in November 1963. However, town planning modifications were needed to remove the provision of housing on the land designated for the new shopping centre and business units to repurpose the land for general business. Provisions were also considered to allow for the widening of Stanley Road. The site chosen for the shopping centre was occupied by streets of Victorian terraced housing, informally known as "Little America," as the streets were named after American states. The new shopping centre would cover 35 acres (14 ha) of land, then occupied by around 148 shops and 441 houses. However, the demolition plans were criticized during the inquiry, which considered a view that only 28 of the 441 homes were unfit and that many other houses elsewhere should have been a demolition priority.
Construction work started in 1965, with demolition of existing residential dwellings starting sometime around July that year. The first phase of construction involved the laying of a new £55,000 sewer from April that year. Support piles were laid from September 1965, with expectations that the first shops would be open in time for Christmas 1966. Full completion was expected to be in 1968, the centenary year of Bootle receiving its municipal charter. In November 1966, building work was delayed by around five weeks following strike action of builders employed by William Thornton and Sons, the main contractors. Work resumed in December 1966.
By March 1967, construction work was described as "proceeding rapidly", with lettings of shops progressing well. There had been prior concerns expressed that the centre could end up being a white elephant, although the council were happy with the progress being made. Bootle Corporation and developer Ravenseft Properties Limited held a competition to find the best six names for new planned pedestrian ways, with a £25 prize for the winner. The winning name was announced in March 1965, with the entry "New Strand" by 11-year-old Dorothy Hawkins winning first prize, while "Stanley Mons Strand" and "Little America" won the consolation prizes.
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New Strand Shopping Centre
The New Strand Shopping Centre, known locally simply as The Strand, is the main shopping centre in Bootle, Merseyside, England. Opened in 1968, it was part of a larger Bootle redevelopment during this period, which was also complemented by the establishment of the Girobank headquarters in nearby Netherton. The site occupied by the shopping centre was formerly Victorian houses, in streets that were named after American states. The decision on naming the shopping centre was done so via a public competition, with an 11-year-old school girl submitting the winning entry of "New Strand" in 1965. The Strand opened at a cost of £5 million in 1968, in the centenary year of Bootle receiving its municipal charter.
The centre was extended between 1997 and 1998 and completed in November the same year to provide additional retail outlets, as well as additional car-parking facilities and improved transportation to the centre. The Strand centre is widely known for the 1993 abduction of toddler James Bulger, who was taken from the centre by two ten-year-old boys and later murdered.
In October 2014, it was announced that London-based Ellandi had purchased the shopping centre, yet it was sold to Sefton Council just two and a half years later. In 2025, the council approved the first phase of a £20 million regeneration for the shopping centre, to incorporate new community spaces following partial demolition.
During the 1960s, Bootle underwent a major regeneration, with the shopping centre expected to be a highlight of the redevelopment efforts. In October 1961, the town's development plan was approved, and the council granted permission for the compulsory purchase of property on Stanley Road. The council had previously appointed shopping consultants in 1956 to advise on the necessary improvements, with a particular focus on the Strand Road-Stanley Road area. The consultants found that facilities were "inadequate," with a danger to pedestrians and insufficient parking available. The area identified for redevelopment was already part of a slum clearance program. Despite considering other sites, the Stanley Road-Strand Road location was ultimately chosen due to its significant redevelopment needs and its potential to create a new retail shopping centre strategically located near a railway station and easily accessible to the wider Merseyside region. Mr T. H. Pigot of the Bootle No 1 Objectors Association believed that Linacre Lane would have been a more suitable location, but accepted that transport connections in the region were inadequate.
Due to the need to compulsory purchase existing property, a public inquiry was held in 1962 by Mr M. B. Tetlow for the Ministry of Housing and Local Government. At the second day of the inquiry, William Roots MP noted that the shopping district present on Stanley Road did not meet modern standards, as the area's shops were primarily old property conversions that had failed to keep up with the times. The Bootle Traders' Association expressed concerns that the higher rents charged in the new centre could "squeeze the smaller trader against the wall," causing instability to existing smaller traders and the risk of liquidation. A Bootle estate agent and surveyor told the inquiry that the main shopping region of the area should be improved rather than redeveloped, citing concerns over rent costs which in the proposed shopping centre "would be more than double the existing rents for property in the area", expressing concerns this could drive away local traders in favour of national chains.
Approval for the scheme was expected imminently during a press conference in November 1963. However, town planning modifications were needed to remove the provision of housing on the land designated for the new shopping centre and business units to repurpose the land for general business. Provisions were also considered to allow for the widening of Stanley Road. The site chosen for the shopping centre was occupied by streets of Victorian terraced housing, informally known as "Little America," as the streets were named after American states. The new shopping centre would cover 35 acres (14 ha) of land, then occupied by around 148 shops and 441 houses. However, the demolition plans were criticized during the inquiry, which considered a view that only 28 of the 441 homes were unfit and that many other houses elsewhere should have been a demolition priority.
Construction work started in 1965, with demolition of existing residential dwellings starting sometime around July that year. The first phase of construction involved the laying of a new £55,000 sewer from April that year. Support piles were laid from September 1965, with expectations that the first shops would be open in time for Christmas 1966. Full completion was expected to be in 1968, the centenary year of Bootle receiving its municipal charter. In November 1966, building work was delayed by around five weeks following strike action of builders employed by William Thornton and Sons, the main contractors. Work resumed in December 1966.
By March 1967, construction work was described as "proceeding rapidly", with lettings of shops progressing well. There had been prior concerns expressed that the centre could end up being a white elephant, although the council were happy with the progress being made. Bootle Corporation and developer Ravenseft Properties Limited held a competition to find the best six names for new planned pedestrian ways, with a £25 prize for the winner. The winning name was announced in March 1965, with the entry "New Strand" by 11-year-old Dorothy Hawkins winning first prize, while "Stanley Mons Strand" and "Little America" won the consolation prizes.