Britain's third largest shopping mall, Westfield London, opened today with Hammersmith & Fulham Council saying it is prepared to pull out all the stops to sort out potential parking problems in the shortest time possible.
The council has already measured parking stress in the side streets around the mega-mall and is concerned that residents' parking bays could become clogged up with Westfield shoppers.
The council has already had robust negotiations with senior management at Westfield to ensure that there is no incentive for shoppers to park on residential side streets. The council has now said it is also prepared to use its powers to further protect residents’ parking spaces.
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Councillor Nicholas Botterill, H&F Council Deputy Leader, said: "We are acutely aware that the streets around Westfield could become clogged with Westfield’s shoppers and staff. If this does happen, we can either fast track changes in the controlled parking restrictions in local streets nearest the development before Christmas or we can go through a full consultation process before beginning the necessary legal procedures which will mean that any changes cannot happen until well into next year."
The opening means that for the first time in Britain, some 300 shops, including fashion giants like Prada, Chanel and Valentino, will be available under one undulating, energy-efficient roof.
Westfield took five years to build, including the development of two new rail stations and a bus station to cope with the huge number of consumers expected to visit.
A new street lined with restaurants has been constructed by developers outside the shopping centre.
The internal design includes quirky displays and features, including staircases that appear to float, a sculpture of laser-cut acrylic stilettos suspended in space and a floor made from recycled trainers.
(CD/JM)
