EAGLE CENTRE

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After a woman and her four-year-old daughter were injured when glass fell from the roof of the Westfield Shopping Centre (or Eagle Centre as people will continue to refer to it), health and safety experts have assured shoppers that they believe the centre is safe. The Burrows Walk section, near Woolworths, where the incident happened, reopened after safety netting was put up to protect shoppers from anything falling from the roof.

Mesh netting is also being installed under all glazing panels at the centre while the review is taking place. Glazing sub-contractors appointed by Westfield have examined the framework ar-ound the windows and have not found any faults. They also examined the windows yesterday and the broken glass has been taken away for further analysis. Environmental health manager Mike Kay said the city council was satisfied with the progress of the investigation. He said, "They have still not been able to identify why that glazing fell down. No problems have been identified with the framework of the glazing. The glass itself is now being looked at and we will know more after that."

A Westfield spokeswoman confirmed that appropriate safety measures had been taken and a review of safety controls was being carried out and said, "Both the inspections and analysis are being undertaken by expert consultants appointed by Westfield. Until the results of the investigation are known, as a precaution Westfield has already started to implement various protective measures, which includes the installation of a fine mesh netting directly below all glazing panels in the centre."

It is the second incident of this kind at Westfield in the space of four months. The first happened when two panes of glass fell from the ceiling in Copecastle Square. No one was injured. Mr Kay said the city council started an investigation into that incident and discovered that a supply pipe had either split or burst, which had released stones on to the windows. That caused the glass to shatter and fall to the floor. The investigation was then passed on to the Health and Safety Executive as a construction-related issue. An HSE spokeswoman said it did not pursue the matter because it did not meet their criteria for further investigation. (Source: Derby Evening Telegraph, May/07)

More than 150,000 shoppers attended the opening of the new Westfield shopping centre where they were treated to champagne, aerial acrobatic displays and celebrity dance shows. Most people there claimed it was, and will be, a huge success.

However, as retailers were promised "half price" or even zero rent for the first year in order to entice them to fill the units in the new centre, it will be interesting to see how many of them are still there after next year when the full rent becomes payable. Let's hope it doesn't become another Duckworth Square, Main Centre or St Werburgh's Cloisters.

The disabled and people with pushchairs have already discovered a problem with the new centre though. Only three of the nine lifts actually go down to ground level. A spokesman said this was a "design feature". The new shopping centre features nearly 150 shops, dozens of eateries and a cinema. The centre will also have extended opening hours:

9am - 7pm - Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday
9am - 9pm - Thursday and Friday
10.30am - 4.30pm - Sunday

Now that the new Westfield shopping centre is open efforts are being made in attracting traders to fill the empty units created by stores relocating to the centre. John Forkin, of Marketing Derby, believes that Westfield will have a positive impact on the whole of the city and empty shops will be filled within six months. (Source: Derby Evening Telegraph, Oct/07)

Most of the floor at the Westfield shopping mall is to be ripped up. Work to replace the "vast majority" of the floor tiles, many of which are cracked and chipped, will take six months to complete. More than 9,000 square feet of tiles across two floors are to be removed and replaced but Westfield said the work on the floor was not being done for safety reasons. Marsha Forster-Brass, marketing manager at Westfield, said the work was being carried out because they were "dissatisfied" with the standard of the floor. A spokesman said, "I can categorically state that the work is being done because of the finish of the tiles, not because of any trips or falls."

The floor is surfaced with large crema marfil tiles. Many are chipped round the edges and some have cracks through them. Yellow and black tape was stuck on the most badly damaged tiles two months ago but some people claim the floor is still dangerous. A spokesman from environmental services at Derby City Council said they were aware of eight incidents where people had slipped in Westfield. He said, "We do, from time to time, get contacted by people who have fallen in the centre. Most of these falls happen near the entrance and exits, especially when it is wet. We will be talking to Westfield about the process of replacement." (Source: Derby Evening Telegraph, Mar/08)

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