Broughton Shopping Park
- Property overview
Broughton, near Chester, has been in the British Land portfolio since 2005. The Park is home to 31 shops, attracting 9.2 million visitors a year and bringing 450 jobs to the area at peak times. It is managed by an on-site team, with Savills acting as managing agents.
- Our use of resources
We reduced electricity use by 45% compared to last year. This saved 157,000 kWh and cut carbon emissions by 83 tonnes. This was achieved by fitting daylight sensors to the car park lighting. We also zoned the car park lighting so that we could continue to meet the needs of the 24-hour Tesco, whilst reducing overall energy use.
- Our communities and us
Over 100 students from St David's High School in Saltney completed the fifth annual Young Managers course at Broughton. The Year 9 students participated in a three-day programme, undertaking projects on traffic, marketing, health and safety and cleanliness. The course encourages team building, problem solving and communications. Operations Manager at Broughton, Karl Rigby, commented: "It is very satisfying to see the Young Managers' faces light up as they recognise that, following some training and practice, they could manage a shop or a shopping park."
This is one of the highlights of the school year as it helps the students to experience a work environment, and develop the skills that they will need to show when they apply for jobs or plan their careers.
Broughton hosted an awareness event for White Ribbon Day, an international campaign for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. The Flintshire Domestic Abuse Partnership, part of the Community Safety Partnership, set up a stand providing information and gave out pin badges, ribbons and balloons to shoppers. Women are three and a half times more likely to be murdered by a male spouse than vice versa. Violence against women worldwide causes more deaths and disability than cancer, malaria, traffic accidents or war.
Broughton now offers a comprehensive Visitor Information Point, through the Chester Services Partnership. Shoppers can get literature on local leisure facilities and tourist attractions, or watch a DVD. The facility was officially opened by Councillor Mel Higham, Flintshire County Council's executive member for Regeneration and Tourism.
As one of the area's most popular shopping destinations attracting over 8 million visits a year, Broughton Shopping Park represents an ideal location for this initiative.
Broughton provided use of space to a number of charities, enabling them to raise both funds and awareness. In October, the Clwyd Army Cadet Force held a fundraising event in aid of the Army Benevolent Fund which looks after British troops injured in combat. The cadets also used the event as an opportunity to show would-be recruits what life can be like in the Force. Other charities which used the Park for fundraising included the Meningitis Trust. During the summer, the RSPCA ran a campaign to remind people not to leave animals in cars during warm weather. The Blood Transfusion Service also encouraged people to give blood and save a life. Employment Wales benefited from the use of meeting facilities on-site.
The team at Broughton worked with Flintshire County Council to run a series of events promoting local services and raising awareness of important issues. In September, shoppers received advice on products available to help them to protect their properties from flooding, as well as information on insurance and the Environment Agency Flood Warning Service. A number of suppliers also displayed their flood defence products and the Fire and Rescue Service were on-site to demonstrate their flood rescue equipment. The local council even offered breast screening in a quiet area of the Park as part of the Breast Test Wales project.
British Land 2009. All Rights Reserved.
For our full Corporate Responsibility Report: britishland.com/crReport/2009