Inside dated shopping centre that time and local shoppers forgot
It is a dated shopping centre that has been forgotten in time and unchanged for the most part.
The Westside Plaza in Wester Hailes, Edinburgh, was for decades used by the local community as a key shopping centre.
However, the loss of services and the regular change of shop hands has meant that the centre has been abandoned by local residents, report Edinburgh Live.
Locals have recalled visiting the Plaza years after it opened in 1974, but have now admitted that the place and the community has "been forgotten" about.
The outdated décor, many locals say, is the present sight that the local shopping centre is fading away as online shopping prevails and the cost of living crisis takes its toll on Brits.
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The shopping centre has been at the heart of the working class community for decades with locals relying on the space to meet their daily needs (Edinburgh Live)
Over the past couple of decades the shopping centre has seen a downturn in its fortunes with shop units closing or changing hands regularly (Edinburgh Live)While security members still patrol the shopping centre, several units have remained vacant and untouched.
One local says that while she has seen the space evolve over the years, it is very "different now".
Speaking about the shopping centre's changing times, Alice Stirling, 72, said: “There are definitely less people than there used to be. I don’t know if rents have gone up but you see shops closing or changing hands a lot.
“I used to come all the time for a coffee with friends at Martines café but I struggle a bit with mobility and the lack of options so only come up twice a week. It is very different now.
“There is nowhere to buy clothes. I really liked the Peacocks that recently closed and back in the day there was a lot more choice for customers when it came to clothes - it was fantastic.
“You could spend a lot more time in the centre in the past with the market stalls that used to be on the ground floor. I also remember being able to buy furniture, a good newsagent and fresh fruit and vegetables being sold."
The 72-year-old continued: “In Wester Hailes and the Calders it feels as though we have been forgotten. Wester Hailes can be a bit of a dirty word but it is not bad.
“There used to be some drug addicts hanging around but that is what happens when you have a lot of vulnerable youths put in one area with nothing to do and nowhere to go. But I think there are not as many bad people around today.
“It is mostly young mums and older people that come here. The staff are really friendly and always try to help people like myself with mobility issues.”
Another local, a young mum of three, Kelly, 33, says she visits the centre in the mornings before her kids go to their nursery.
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Inside the 'dangerous and dated' shopping centre that time has forgotten about (Edinburgh Live)However, she still feels as though the space can be dangerous stating she tries to avoid the Plaza later in the day as she has seen drug users fighting with one another.
On her experience of the Plaza, she said: “We only come through when we are passing after the girls go to nursery. It’s a place we try not to spend too much time in as it is actually quite scary for the kids.
“There are drug users that fight outside all the time. I used to stay locally but thankfully I moved away a number of years ago.
“There used to be so much here but over the years a lot of shops have left and there is not much to do. It is a place we try to avoid due to the type of people that can hang around here.”
However, Tanya, 51, says that while it offers everything that she needs from a dentist, opticians and food shops, hopping at the moment is becoming more unaffordable in the midst of rising costs.
She used to be able to do a weekly shop in Iceland but says that the budget supermarket offers less for a higher price and now relies upon Lidl.
Alice remembers how busy the centre used to be when it first opened (Edinburgh Live)Tanya said: “There are actually a lot of choices for food shopping but I predominantly come here for the Lidl. I used to use Iceland but I notice that their prices are becoming too expensive now.
“Personally in the past ten years I haven’t really noticed it change much. Some shops come and go but ultimately it stays the same.
“It’s good there is a dentist and opticians here as that supports the community. In the way of a face lift I’m not really sure what you could do. It does a job for what it is for locals.”
But the good news for the community is that a former alcohol shop, a sober Community Wellbeing Space has sprung up at the Plaza.
It is joined by the Sculpture Placement Group who have set up an exhibition through charity Outer Spaces who look to bring different artworks to communities and spaces where they would not traditionally be seen.
These innovative projects are turning what would be empty shops into vital services that breathe much needed life into the area.
Spaces inside the centre are being transformed to breathe fresh life into the community (Edinburgh Live)Speaking out about how she is trying to get projects up and running in the shopping centre, Mary-Anne, who is a host at the Community Well-being Collective said: “We opened back in August in what was an alcohol shop before. When we started we went out into the community to speak to residents about the sort of offerings they would like to see.
“Their overwhelming feeling was that they would like somewhere that focuses on community wellbeing. So we are essentially here working for the people and empowering them in all aspects of wellbeing.
“We offer a variety of activities from community lunches on Saturday to offerings that support black and ethnic minority women and even Spanish lessons. On a Sunday we have a soup kitchen that is provided by Empty Kitchens. There is a whole schedule of free activities throughout our opening times on Thursday and Fridays and Saturday and Sundays.
“We have found that we have been so welcomed. The space has been designed to cater to the community and those that lead the offerings tend to be locals themselves.
“I think it would be amazing if there were more spaces like ours using vacant units to support local people. It allows for the community to collaborate and rebuild that sense of togetherness that has sadly been lost over time.
“We wanted to create a space where people could come to dream together and feel empowered.”
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