IMAGES TAKEN NEAR TO
Churchill Square, BRIGHTON, BN1 2TB

The last days of the store that has been in this position since the 1970s. Habitat are one of four stores that still retain their original position within the shopping complex after the area was completely revamped in the mid 1990s changing it from a bleak, windswept concrete jungle into a modern american type mall. The others; WH Smith, British Home Stores and Dorothy Perkins all front out onto the open square next to Western Road whereas Habitat were the last to survive inside.

Service road for Churchill Square shopping centre built when the whole area was redeveloped in the 1960s. The backs of the shops in Cranbourne Street and West Street are respectively straight ahead and to the right.

A view of the eastern entrance half an hour after sunset. The original shopping centre was built in the 1960s and involved the demolition of all the old housing found between West Street and Cannon Place. The newly built centre consisted of an upper and lower level area of shops as well as a couple of office blocks towering above them. The shopping area was uncovered and became a big wind trap in inclement weather as well as being a haunt for drunks and other less than savoury characters out of hours. From the late 1980s shops began to desert the lower levels which in turn attracted unwanted characters who in turn scared the shoppers away causing more shop closures. When Tesco vacated its lower level premises in the early 1990s plans began to be made to do something about it. By now shops were also deserting the upper levels and the centre had aged very badly in comparison to the newer out of town centres then being built. Work began in the mid 1990s to convert it into a modern mall which was completed and opened in 1998 attracting back into it many High Street retailers such as Debenhams, Virgin and HMV. Whilst the current mall is a vast improvement on the grey old concrete monstrosity that it replaced it still feels interchangeable with many others found in towns around the country. The two high rise blocks behind the centre are Chartwell Court and Sussex Heights respectively.

It is 1.30pm on a Tuesday afternoon, The sun is shining, the shopping centre would normally be full at this time but all the shops are shut and there is hardly anyone around

The bookshop was situated at the North East corner of the square until Borders went into liquidation in Dec 2009

At the front of the shopping centre

Looking towards the entrance to Top Shop and British Home Stores. The original underground car park was built with the centre in the 1960s and was updated when the old centre was converted into an indoor mall. The pillars have all been painted in various shades which at least gives it some colour and is an improvement of the old drab grey concrete that once existed down here. It probably helps finding your car too.

A service road for Churchill Square that was built in the 1960s on the site of former houses that fronted onto Great Russell Street. At the far end are the rear of houses in Cranbourne Street.

The eastern entrance to the shopping mall illuminated at dusk. Borders bookshop originally occupied the premises to the left.