Hindpool Retail Parks

The Hindpool Retail Parks are a set of four conjoined retail parks in the Hindpool area of Barrow-in-Furness, England, United Kingdom (with the exception of one which straddles the border with Central Barrow). Some thirty stores and leisure facilities contain a total of 43,000 m2 (460,000 sq ft) of retail space (around one quarter of the borough's 199,000 m2 (2,140,000 sq ft) of retail floorspace).[1] The four retail parks are Cornerhouse Retail Park, Cornmill Crossing, Hindpool Retail Park and Hollywood Park. The largest and only other retail park in Barrow is Walney Road Retail Park - Pound Stretcher, Argos Extra, Asda, Home Bargains, Matalan and Stollers.[2]

Tesco Extra, Cornerhouse Retail Park

Site history

All of the retail parks were built on former industrial land that during the early to mid-20th century played a major role in not only Barrow's but the entire country's economy. Hindpool Retail Park, alongside Craven Park stadium were built upon the site of the Barrow Jute Works which operated from 1870 to 1948. Cornerhouse Park and Cornmill Crossing were built on a site originally occupied by a cornmill and large interchange of the Furness Railway, while Hollywood Park was constructed on the southern perimeter of the former iron and steelworks which was operated by the Barrow Hematite Steel Company between 1859 and 1963 and was at one point the largest steelworks on earth.

Cornerhouse Retail Park
Cornerhouse Retail Park

Cornerhouse Retail Park has seen many changes throughout its history, Tesco has seen two huge expansions (including the addition of a large mezzanine floor) and has become a Tesco Extra store, Homebase also created a mezzanine floor to keep up with the competition from the likes of B&Q, although the store has now become a B&M, whilst Currys had a unit in the park before relocating to Hollywood Park when it was completed.[3]

UnitRetail/ Leisure
Space		Tenant
A833 m2 (8,970 sq ft)Iceland
B570 m2 (6,100 sq ft)The Gym Group
C651 m2 (7,010 sq ft)Pets at Home
D1,396 m2 (15,030 sq ft)Halfords
E3,367 m2 (36,240 sq ft)B&M1,3
N/A7,300 m2 (79,000 sq ft)Tesco Extra1

Cornmill Crossing
B&Q store, Cornmill Crossing

Cornmill Crossing is the newest addition to the Hindpool Retail Parks complex. Despite it only being home to two units, both are amongst the larger stores in the area. Planning permission for the retail park was sought in January 2007 for the 10,186 m2 (109,640 sq ft) site which was formerly occupied by United Utilities water works,[4] the plans were quickly approved to following month.[5] An archeological dig was conducted by Greenlane Archeology of Ulverston. This was to uncover the remains of a steam cornmill built in 1870, but demolished in 1972 following a fire in the building which had stood empty for five years. The complex was designed by Craig and Green Architects and built in under a year. B&Q were the first top open their doors in July 2008,[6] the new 'Mini Warehouse' was built to replace a rundown superstore on nearby Duke Street, the B&Q contains roughly 6,800 m2 (73,000 sq ft) of retail space - including a 1,400 m2 (15,000 sq ft) garden centre and 740 m2 (8,000 sq ft) builders' yard.[7] The other unit in Cornmill Park - a JJB Sports2 Superstore, Fitness Club and Gym opened in September 2008. The two story building has a total floor area of 3,914 m2 (42,130 sq ft) and includes a 20 m (66 ft) long swimming pool.[8] The store and fitness club now goes by the name DW Sports Fitness after it was acquired by Dave Whelan in March 2009.[9] Also worth of note is the supermarket Morrisons which is located more or less next to Cornmill Crossing, only separated by Michaelson Road Bridge.

Hindpool Retail Park
Sign marking the entrance to Hindpool Retail Park

Hindpool Retail Park is the only one of the four retail parks to have increased its number of units since opening. Next and the former Brantano were built in 2005 on the site of a former women's institute that straddled the retail park, while a smaller building was constructed within the park itself in 2015 to house Costa Coffee and Subway.

Plans in 2019 revealed that Burger King had plans to open up a store in the vacant Frankie and Benny's restaurant.

UnitRetail/ Leisure
Space		Tenant
1697 m2 (7,500 sq ft)Poundland
2937 m2 (10,090 sq ft)Carpetright
3763 m2 (8,210 sq ft)Bensons for Beds
41,180 m2 (12,700 sq ft)
5372 m2 (4,000 sq ft)Burger King
6619 m2 (6,660 sq ft)Cancer Research UK
7946 m2 (10,180 sq ft)Next5
8A93 m2 (1,000 sq ft)Subway
8B150 m2 (1,600 sq ft)Costa Coffee
N/A2,930 m2 (31,500 sq ft)The Range Home and Leisure

Hollywood Park
Sign marking entrance to Hollywood Park

Hollywood Park is the most diverse of the four retail parks, as well as the second largest. Designed by Craig and Green Architects, plans were first submitted for a new leisure and retail complex in Barrow in October 1997, the local council approved these plans in April 1998.[10] Throughout the rest of 1998 and 1999, a number of tenants lined up to move into Hollywood Park - with most of these being swiftly approved.[10] Construction of the complex was completed just after the turn of the millennium. Electrical stores Comet and Currys both moved into Hollywood Park from smaller premises in Cornerhouse Retail Park.[10] Hollywood Park is home to three food outlets, the largest cinema in Cumbria as well as a number of retail outlets with mezzanine floors.[11] JJB Sports moved to a larger premises in Cornmill Crossing in 2008, whilst the likes of Barrow Superbowl and Klaussner furniture fell victims to bankruptcy.[11] Plans were recently approved for Aldi to combine the two former Dreams and B&M Bargains units into one, 1,395 square metre, 'superstore'. It is not yet known whether the Hindpool Park store will close. In total there are some 650 parking spaces within Hollywood Park, a detailed list of its current tenants are compiled below.[11] Although not within Hollywood Park, PC World, Travis Perkins, the Wacky Warehouse and the Owl and the Pussycat Restaurant are located immediately north of the complex, and Premier Inn and Brewers Fayre to the west.

UnitRetail/ Leisure
Space		Tenant
A1,395 m2 (15,020 sq ft)Apollo Bingo
B3,658 m2 (39,370 sq ft)Dunelm Mill1,4
C1,134 m2 (12,210 sq ft)Nuffield Health Club2
D1,484 m2 (15,970 sq ft)Vue Cinemas
E/H1,679 m2 (18,070 sq ft)Currys
E/H932 m2 (10,030 sq ft)Aldi
J2,000 m2 (22,000 sq ft)T.K.Maxx1
K238 m2 (2,560 sq ft)KFC
L292 m2 (3,140 sq ft)Vacant
M289 m2 (3,110 sq ft)McDonald's

See also

Notes
  • ^1 Unit contains a mezzanine floor
  • ^2 Unit contains two storeys
  • ^3 The floor area for B&M excludes the garden centre and mezzanine floor which were constructed by former tenants Homebase
  • ^4 Dunelm Mill was formerly Barrow Superbowl
  • ^5 Unit was built on the site of the former John Whinnerah Institute

References
  1. "Commercial and Industrial Floorspace and Rateable Value Statistics". Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 23 June 2010.
  2. "Walney Road Retail Park" (PDF). Completely Retail. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 March 2012. Retrieved 23 June 2010.
  3. Scheme information on www.completelyretail.co.uk
  4. "Application for Cornmill Crossing". Barrow Borough Council. Archived from the original on 20 August 2011. Retrieved 22 June 2010.
  5. "Approval for Cornmill Crossing". Barrow Borough Council. Archived from the original on 20 August 2011. Retrieved 22 June 2010.
  6. "New DIY superstore opens its doors". North West Evening Mail. Retrieved 22 June 2010.
  7. "B&Q set to open expanded store by summer of 2008". North West Evening Mail. Archived from the original on 1 April 2012. Retrieved 22 June 2010.
  8. "JJB store fitness centre opens gym and pool with a party". North West Evening Mail. Retrieved 22 June 2010.
  9. Hunter, Andy (25 March 2009). "Whelan launches scathing attack on Newcastle owner Ashley". London: The Guardian. Retrieved 22 June 2010.
  10. "Local Planning Portal Search". Barrow borough Council. Archived from the original on 20 August 2011. Retrieved 22 June 2010.
  11. "Hollywood Retail and Leisure Park" (PDF). Edgerley Simpson Howe. Retrieved 22 June 2010.

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