The Ashley Centre

The Ashley Centre is a shopping and mixed-use town-centre complex in Epsom, Surrey, England. Opened on 24 October 1984, the development combined retail units with office accommodation, a multi-storey car park and theatre space. Its opening was performed by Queen Elizabeth II, marking the centre as a significant addition to Epsom's commercial core. The development was planned to integrate with the existing character of Epsom High Street rather than replace it wholesale. Its design retained or incorporated elements of older buildings and established shopfronts, including the former Lester Bowden premises and entrances associated with Marks & Spencer's marketplace presence. Taller service and parking structures were positioned farther from the marketplace to reduce their visual impact on the historic parts of the town centre. At opening, the centre's principal anchor retailers included Army & Navy Stores and Marks & Spencer. Army & Navy Stores subsequently changed identity, first becoming Dickens & Jones and later operating as House of Fraser. The centre's retail offer has therefore evolved with the wider changes in British department-store and high-street retailing, while the site has continued to provide a mixture of national retailers, services and town-centre amenities. The complex is also supported by a multi-storey car park, which influenced the surrounding road arrangements when Epsom introduced a one-way traffic system designed partly to accommodate vehicle access to the centre. Ownership and branding changed during the 2000s. In 2005, The Mall Fund acquired the property and rebranded it as The Mall Ashley. A substantial redesign followed in 2006, including the creation of space for a large Boots store. This work affected Kings' Shade Walk, a shorter mall passage connecting the centre with Epsom marketplace. In 2009, the centre was sold to Bride Hall Group. It was relaunched in April of that year and restored to its original name, The Ashley Centre. The centre has also undergone improvements aimed at visitor access and convenience. In 2009, its toilet and baby-change facilities were refurbished to improve accessibility for disabled and less-able customers. Shopmobility services are available for visitors with mobility needs. The Ashley Centre is located opposite major bus stops by Epsom Clock Tower and is approximately a five-minute walk from Epsom railway station, giving it a role in the wider public-transport and shopping network of the town. Bus services connect Epsom with a broad range of Surrey and south-west London destinations, including Reigate, Redhill, Guildford, Leatherhead, Dorking, Kingston upon Thames, Sutton, Croydon and surrounding communities. The centre remains an active local shopping destination, although detailed current ownership, tenant and operating information is not established in the supplied reference material.

The Ashley Centre was developed as a mixed-use addition to Epsom's established town centre and opened on 24 October 1984. Queen Elizabeth II formally opened the complex. From the outset, the project combined shops with office space, a multi-storey car park and theatre space, making it more than a conventional enclosed retail mall. The development was designed with sensitivity to Epsom High Street and the town's existing built environment. Rather than creating a uniformly modern block along the whole frontage, the scheme incorporated elements of older buildings that had stood along the High Street. Examples included the former Lester Bowden shop and marketplace entrances associated with Marks & Spencer. The scheme placed its taller service and parking structures farther from the marketplace so that they would be less intrusive beside older town-centre buildings. The opening retail anchors included Army & Navy Stores and Marks & Spencer. Army & Navy Stores later changed its trading identity to Dickens & Jones and subsequently to House of Fraser, reflecting changes in the department-store sector. The centre's car park also affected the surrounding transport infrastructure: Epsom later introduced a one-way road system intended in part to improve traffic movement and accommodate entry and exit requirements for the new multi-storey car park. In 2005, The Mall Fund acquired the property and changed its public identity to The Mall Ashley. A major redesign was undertaken in 2006 to accommodate a large Boots store. The project occupied or altered the area previously associated with Kings' Shade Walk, a shorter mall route linking the shopping centre with Epsom marketplace. The property changed hands again in 2009 when Bride Hall Group acquired it. Following the transaction, the centre was relaunched in April 2009 and reverted to its original name, The Ashley Centre. During the same period, toilet and baby-change facilities were refurbished to improve access for disabled and less-able visitors. The centre is situated opposite the principal bus stops near Epsom Clock Tower and around five minutes on foot from Epsom railway station. Its transport position allows it to serve visitors from Epsom, other Surrey towns and parts of south-west London. The centre provides a multi-storey car park and Shopmobility support. Current ownership, management, tenant composition and financial performance are not identified in the supplied reference material.

• 2009

  Bride Hall Group acquisition and name restoration

  [1]The Ashley Centreen.wikipedia.org

  Bride Hall Group acquired the property. After a relaunch in April, the centre resumed the name The Ashley Centre.

• 2009

  Accessibility facilities refurbished

  [1]The Ashley Centreen.wikipedia.org

  Toilet and baby-change facilities were upgraded to improve accessibility for disabled and less-able visitors.

• 2006

  Major retail redesign

  [1]The Ashley Centreen.wikipedia.org

  The centre was redesigned to create space for a large Boots store, affecting the Kings' Shade Walk connection to Epsom marketplace.

• 2005

  Acquisition by The Mall Fund and rebranding

  [1]The Ashley Centreen.wikipedia.org

  The Mall Fund acquired the centre and changed its operating identity to The Mall Ashley.

• 1984

  Opening of The Ashley Centre

  [1]The Ashley Centreen.wikipedia.org

  The mixed-use shopping and office complex opened in Epsom on 24 October 1984, with Queen Elizabeth II performing the opening ceremony.

A locally focused, integrated town-centre shopping and mixed-use destination serving Epsom and its surrounding Surrey and south-west London catchment.

• Retail real estate · 1984

  Shopping centre

  The core offering is an enclosed and integrated town-centre retail environment in Epsom. It provides units for department-store, high-street, service and other commercial occupiers, while connecting with the surrounding High Street and marketplace. The scheme was designed to retain elements of the existing urban fabric rather than operate as an isolated out-of-town development.

• Commercial property · 1984

  Office accommodation

  Office space forms part of the original mixed-use development. The office component complements the centre's retail function and contributes to its role as a town-centre commercial complex, although the supplied sources do not identify current occupiers or the total amount of office accommodation.

• Transport and parking infrastructure · 1984

  Multi-storey car park

  A multi-storey car park was included in the original development to support shoppers, staff and other town-centre visitors. Its access arrangements were one factor in the later design of Epsom's one-way traffic system. The facility remains part of the centre's practical offer.

• Accessibility services

  Shopmobility and visitor facilities

  The centre provides Shopmobility support for less-able visitors. In 2009, toilet and baby-change facilities were refurbished with improved access for disabled and less-able customers.

• 2009

  Bride Hall Group acquisition and brand restorationM&A

  Background

  The centre was sold after operating under The Mall Ashley identity.

  Action taken

  Bride Hall Group purchased the centre, relaunched it in April and restored the original The Ashley Centre name.

  Aftermath

  The property continued trading under its original name.

  Source

• 2006

  Retail-space redesign for BootsStrategy

  Background

  The centre undertook a major redesign to strengthen its retail offer.

  Action taken

  Space was reorganised to accommodate a large Boots store, affecting the Kings' Shade Walk route.

  Aftermath

  The redesign changed the internal connection between the centre and Epsom marketplace.

  Source

• 2005

  Acquisition by The Mall FundM&A

  Background

  The shopping centre entered a new ownership phase during the mid-2000s.

  Action taken

  The Mall Fund acquired the property and rebranded it as The Mall Ashley.

  Aftermath

  The new identity remained in use until the property changed hands again in 2009.

  Source

1. 1The Ashley Centreen.wikipedia.org
2. 2The Ashley Centre official websitetheashleycentre.co.uk