Eastgate Shopping Centre

Eastgate Shopping Centre is a city-centre retail complex in Inverness, Scotland. It serves the principal shopping catchment around Inverness and the wider Highlands, attracting both local residents and visitors to the city. The complex is located close to the railway station and central civic and commercial areas, making it part of Inverness’s main retail core rather than an out-of-town shopping park. The original Eastgate development opened in January 1983. It was developed by Sun Alliance, later associated with Royal & Sun Alliance, and introduced a purpose-built shopping-centre format to the centre of Inverness. The complex subsequently underwent refurbishment in 1993. During the 1990s, its developers pursued a larger extension intended to strengthen the centre’s retail offer, improve links across the site and connect the shopping area more effectively with the railway-station side of the city. The extension proposals encountered planning objections and revisions. Issues included the treatment and relocation of the listed Falconer Building at 7–9 Falcon Square, access arrangements, and the scale of the proposed parking provision. Early concepts also contemplated a leisure component and an eight-screen multiplex cinema, but the cinema was not included in the scheme that proceeded. The listed building was carefully dismantled and reconstructed brick by brick on the opposite side of Falcon Square, allowing the extension to move forward while retaining an important historic structure. Construction began in 2001 and the expanded development opened in 2003. The new phase was named Falcon Mall and was connected to the original centre by two bridge walkways. Debenhams served as the principal anchor store in the extension, while the scheme also introduced a food court and an enlarged retail environment. The redevelopment was accompanied by the reshaping of Falcon Square into a public plaza and the installation of a new mercat cross, giving the area a stronger civic and event-oriented role. The project received the overall Scottish Award for Quality in Planning in 2003. The centre is commonly described through several related names. The original part is known as Eastgate Mall, the newer extension as Falcon Mall, and the combined three-building complex, including the Morrisons element, as Eastgate Centre. Its public identity is also supported by distinctive cultural features. These include an automated Noah’s Ark clock, a mechanical attraction reported as one of only six of its type in the United Kingdom, and The Falcon’s Return, a sculpture of James IV of Scotland holding a falcon. The sculpture references both the monarch’s association with falconry and the Falcon Ironworks that formerly occupied the extension site. It was created by local artist Leonie Gibbs and unveiled in the presence of Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York. The centre has been associated with Savills, a UK real-estate company, which is described in reference material as having taken over the property. A current ownership structure is not established in the available material. Eastgate’s role is primarily that of a regional shopping destination, combining chain retail, food and drink, public-space functions, visitor interest and links to the wider Inverness city centre.

Eastgate Shopping Centre began as a city-centre retail development in Inverness, Scotland. Sun Alliance opened the original centre in January 1983, creating a concentrated shopping destination in the heart of the city. Its location near the central commercial district and railway station enabled it to serve both Inverness residents and visitors travelling into the city from across the Highlands. The centre was refurbished in 1993. By the late 1990s, its developers, identified in planning material as Royal & Sun Alliance, were seeking a much larger expansion. An initial application to Highland Council was dated 10 March 1997. The proposed scheme would extend the centre onto the former railway goods-yard area along Millburn Road and would provide new links between the existing development and the proposed extension. Plans included two bridge connections, an enlarged Marks & Spencer store, a substantial car park, a possible leisure facility and an eight-screen cinema. BHS was considered as a potential anchor and Debenhams was associated with the wider competing or evolving plans for the area. The initial proposal faced objections. Planning concerns included the proposed relocation of the Category B listed Falconer Building at 7–9 Falcon Square, questions about access to the railway station and the amount of parking that the development would create. The scheme was revised before approval. The multiplex cinema was removed, and the planned parking provision was reduced from 1,500 spaces to 1,350 across the two centre car parks. The Falconer Building was dismantled and reconstructed brick by brick on the opposite side of Falcon Square, where it later accommodated PizzaExpress and Laura Ashley. Construction began in 2001, and the extension opened in 2003 as Falcon Mall. Two bridge walkways linked it to the original centre. Debenhams became the extension’s anchor store, and a new food court was added. The redevelopment also transformed Falcon Square into a plaza, with a new mercat cross replacing the former civic gathering emphasis at the Town House end of the High Street. The overall planning and public-realm project was recognised as the winner of the 2003 Scottish Award for Quality in Planning. The complex is described using several overlapping names. The original section is known as Eastgate Mall, the extension is Falcon Mall, and Eastgate Centre can refer to the three-building complex including Morrisons. A major part of the centre’s identity comes from its public attractions. An automated Noah’s Ark clock, assembled by Haward Horological of Suffolk, is a notable feature and is reported as one of only six such clocks in the United Kingdom. The Falcon’s Return sculpture in the Falcon Mall food court depicts James IV of Scotland with a falcon. It was made by Inverness artist Leonie Gibbs and refers to both James IV’s association with falconry and the Falcon Ironworks that once stood on the site. Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, attended the unveiling. Reference material states that the centre was taken over by Savills, a UK-owned real-estate company. The available material does not establish whether Savills is the current owner, manager or investment vehicle, so no definitive present ownership is recorded here. Eastgate remains an active regional shopping complex and a recognisable part of Inverness’s retail and civic landscape.

• 2003

  Falcon Mall opens

  [1]Eastgate Shopping Centre (Inverness)en.wikipedia.org

  The extension opened with bridge walkways, Debenhams as an anchor, a food court and redesigned Falcon Square.

• 2003

  Scottish planning award

  [1]Eastgate Shopping Centre (Inverness)en.wikipedia.org

  The redevelopment won the overall Scottish Award for Quality in Planning.

• 2001

  Extension construction begins

  [1]Eastgate Shopping Centre (Inverness)en.wikipedia.org

  Work began on the revised extension scheme north of the original centre.

• 1997

  Major extension application

  [1]Eastgate Shopping Centre (Inverness)en.wikipedia.org

  Royal & Sun Alliance submitted an application for a substantial extension, which was initially opposed over heritage, access and parking concerns.

• 1993

  Centre refurbishment

  [1]Eastgate Shopping Centre (Inverness)en.wikipedia.org

  The original shopping centre underwent a refurbishment programme.

• 1983

  Original Eastgate centre opens

  [1]Eastgate Shopping Centre (Inverness)en.wikipedia.org

  Sun Alliance opened the original Eastgate shopping-centre development in central Inverness in January.

A regional city-centre shopping destination serving Inverness and the wider Highlands, with a combination of mainstream retail, food and drink, transport accessibility, historic architecture and civic public space.

• Original shopping-centre phase · 1983

  Eastgate Mall

  The original Eastgate section opened in 1983 and forms the historic core of the Inverness complex. It provides conventional city-centre retail accommodation and is commonly distinguished from the later Falcon Mall extension.

• Shopping-centre extension · 2003

  Falcon Mall

  Falcon Mall is the major extension completed in 2003. It is connected to the original centre by two bridge walkways and added anchor retail space, a food court and a redesigned relationship with Falcon Square. Debenhams was the principal anchor at opening.

• Food and beverage facility · 2003

  Falcon food court

  The food court was introduced as part of the Falcon Mall development and forms one of the centre’s visitor-oriented amenities. It is also the location of The Falcon’s Return sculpture.

• Public realm · 2003

  Falcon Square plaza

  Falcon Square was rebuilt as a plaza during the extension project. A new mercat cross was installed, giving the space a role in civic gatherings and public events as well as serving the shopping centre.

• 1997

  Pursuit of a major Eastgate expansionStrategy

  Background

  The original centre required a larger and more competitive retail offer, and developers sought to extend it onto the former railway goods-yard site.

  Action taken

  Developers proposed new retail space, bridge links, expanded parking and leisure uses. Following planning objections, the scheme was revised, including removal of the cinema and reduction of planned parking.

  Aftermath

  The revised development was built from 2001 and opened as Falcon Mall in 2003.

  Source

1. 1Eastgate Shopping Centre (Inverness)en.wikipedia.org