Inside 'UK's saddest shopping centre' with zero shops that now sits abandoned

17 February 2024 , 08:53

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The shopping locastion now has zero stores occupying the St Catherine's place centre

A glimpse has been given inside the 'UK's saddest shopping centre' that now sits totally empty after every shop inside closed its doors.

The beleaguered location in Bristol is now completely vacant with only pigeons nesting in the once-popular attraction. Farmfoods, the final tenant, has now followed other businesses and quit the centreI. t means the centre has no open shops after Iceland closed its doors. St Catherine's Place in Bedminster has slowly declined over the past 20 years.

Five years ago just six stores were left and in 2020, only three were left. The Mirror reported how future of the shopping centre remains in doubt. There are plans to refurbish it, to build a big block of flats next to it, and to turn it into a bustling thoroughfare from the new Bedminster Green regeneration area to East Street.

The St Catherine's Place Shopping Centre in Bedminster has seen better days (Bristol live)

The development was once dubbed the 'saddest in Britain' further uncertainty exist over its future after developer Firmstone, which wanted to build 180 new flats on the land nearby, said it was 'no longer economically viable'. Despite the shopping centre having two floors, pedestrians only appeared to use the streets for getting from A to B. Graffiti appeared on a number of shop windows and boarded-up walls.

The Iceland supermarket closed down and now Farm Foods has gone too (Bristol live)

Street art and graffiti now covers the centre's roof, surrounded by worn paint and dirty walls. The main entrance to St Catherine's Place is on East Street, which is Bristol's largest retail area outside the the city centre. Many big name stores have already moved out including Argos and Bonmarche, which brought some custom for the centre, and it continues to decline with no tenants left.

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All that remains now is empty streets surrounded by boarded-up shop windows and old posters. An increasing number of independent stores and businesses are opening up in East Street, lured by the empty units, cheaper rent, council incentives and the longer-term promise of the regeneration of Bedminster.

Now there are no shops left in Bristol's 'saddest shopping centre'

But bosses insist there are plans to refurbish, regenerate or even rebuild St Catherine's Place. The owner of the troubled centre has signalled its intention to turn 10 of the empty shops into flats. Whether this happens is questionable, but bosses have submitted planning applications to the authorities.

Simon Dicken said the area was changing and new places were opening. He said: “East Street is undergoing a complete transformation, with St Catherine’s Place as a central part of the development of a new residential building on that site.” He said despite some shop closures, there have been new openings in East Street from new eateries to a skateboard shop.

Graeme Murray