It was celebrations all round as revamped Basingstoke shopping centre The Malls was unveiled on Sunday following months of delays.
Adding a touch of glamour to the launch were Strictly Come Dancing star Camilla Dallerup and her hubby, former Hollyoak’s actor Kevin Sacre.
Borough council bosses say the makeover will result in more cash for the council and create jobs.
Cllr Ranil Jayawardena, the borough’s finance and property chief, said: “In terms of a centrepiece that everyone can visibly see and benefit from, this is a key improvement.
“It has required a lot of time, and certainly investment, to get where we are today, but it something we will reap the benefits from in the years ahead.”
The multi-million pound scheme was first mooted in 2007, when council cabinet bosses pushed ahead with plans to revamp the Alencon Link entrance. By June 2010, the council had green-lighted The Malls refurbishment project, releasing up to £6m for contractors Wates Construction Ltd to start work.
Then by August, the diggers had rolled in and over the course of the work new flooring was installed, along with an open-air canopy and a more welcoming look to the three entrances.
“To be kind to The Malls, it had become very much the poor relation of the town,” said Cllr Jayawardena. “People, I’m afraid, didn’t really like shopping at the old centre and that was unfortunate because it is the gateway to the town centre. It was rather sad to see it as it was.”
The launch had been scheduled for July this year, but delays and last minute work, including Hampshire County Council’s decision to overhaul Alencon Link, pushed the deadline back.
Cllr Jayawardena said: “It’s important to remember that it’s a very complex project and we’ve kept the shopping centre open for the entire period.
“What you would ideally do if you wanted to build something quickly and cheaply is to shut the shopping centre, do the work very quickly and then reopen it.
“Fundamentally, you have to do what’s right, and that means doing a good job and that also means putting in the time that’s required at the outset to ensure you don’t have to revisit it in too short a time frame.”
Shops rentals net the council, which owns the land, up to £2m a year. And Cllr Jayawardena said big players such as Primark and Deichmann took up leases at the centre on the promise of a revamp.
“There are more jobs and a knock-on for Festival Place as well,” Cllr Jayawardena said. “Yes, we are improving this site, but it also improves right into the town centre and makes it a place more people want to come to, and that creates more jobs.”
