Cabot Circus

Cabot Circus

Location	Broadmead, Bristol
Coordinates	51°27′32″N 2°35′06″W / 51.459°N 2.585°W / 51.459; -2.585Coordinates: 51°27′32″N 2°35′06″W / 51.459°N 2.585°W / 51.459; -2.585
Opening date	25 September 2008
Developer	Bristol Alliance
Management	Richard Belt
Owner	Land Securities & Hammerson
No. of stores and services	140
No. of anchor tenants	15
Total retail floor area	92,900 m2 (1,000,000 sq ft) (Retail & leisure) [1]
Parking	2,500 car spaces
No. of floors	4
Website	Official website

Cabot Circus is a shopping mall in Bristol, England. It is located in Broadmead, the main shopping district in Bristol city centre. The Cabot Circus development area contains shops, offices, a cinema, hotel and 250 apartments. It covers a total of 139,350 m² (1,500,000 sq ft) floor space, of which 92,900 m² (1,000,000 sq ft) is retail outlets and leisure facilities.^[1] It opened in September 2008, after a ten year planning and building project costing £500 million.^[2]

History

The original chosen name 'Merchants Quarter' came under criticism due to its associations to the slave trade.^[3] The name of Cabot was chosen following a public vote taken in November 2007,^[4] and commemorates John Cabot, an Italian explorer who is closely associated with Bristol. Work began on the site in September 2005,^[5] following planning approval in December 2003.^[6] Cabot Circus comprises three multi-level pedestrianised streets, with apartment block areas. Its focal point, The Circus, has a large glass-panelled roof. The centre won the 2008 BREEAM Retail award for its sustainable design,^[1] including its natural ventilation, low energy lighting and rainwater harvesting system. The complex was opened to shoppers on 25 September 2008.^[2]

Retailers

Concorde Street, Cabot Circus.

Cabot Circus has over 120 shops and two department stores: House of Fraser and Harvey Nichols, the latter having been opened by Dita Von Teese.^[7]. Other outlets include French Connection, Hugo Boss, Thomas Pink, Lacoste, New Look, Hollister Co (which opened on December 10, 2009), Urban Outfitters, Zara and The Apple Store. Cabot Circus also has a thirteen screen Showcase Cinema de Lux.

Transport

Cabot Circus car park

Cabot Circus is at the junction of the A4044 and A4032, close to the end of the M32 motorway.

Private vehicles

Cabot Circus has 2,500 car parking spaces,^[8] with disabled and "parent and toddler bays, plus electric car bays equipped with chargers. Prices are biased towards short-stay shoppers – £3 to park for under two hours, £16 to park between 8–24 hours.^[9] Evening parking rates (6pm onwards) are much lower. There are 30 dedicated motorcycle parking spaces.

Drivers can also access the centre by using one of Bristol's three Park and Ride services; Long Ashton, Portway and Bath Road.^[10] From September to December 2008, there was a temporary weekend park and ride scheme from Frenchay to Cabot Circus.^[11]

Public transport

Bus stops for services from all parts of the city and region are within walking distance. From Temple Meads railway station, Cabot Circus can be reached by bus, ferry taxi or on foot.

The Circus busy with shoppers

Local community response

In 2002 local newsletter The Bristolian reported, "Last Thursday residents of St. Pauls met to oppose the Broadmead development: "Is Our Community under threat from Big Business Developers?" "The Broadmead Expansion Plan, backed by the council, will mean a massive increase in traffic congestion, pollution and parking chaos."^[12]

Bristolians and Bristol based organisations have criticised the development and the impacts it will have on their city on Bristol Indymedia.^{[13] [14]} On the day of its launch, activists hung a banner off part of the development saying "crunch the cabot credit circus", linking the opening of a multimillion pound retail development with the late 2008 economic climate and global credit crunch.^[15] The first Saturday of its opening was marked by a zombie walk of around 50 zombies stumbling through the mall.

Glass roof above The Circus

See also

• The Mall Galleries

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Cabot Circus

• Official website
• BBC News - Cabot Circus
• Babylon Towers, a critique of the Cabot Circus development
• Cabot Circus: Video Clip

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