The shopping centre, in addition to the retail parks, forms one of the largest shopping areas in a single location within Europe, with almost 2,600,000 square feet (240,000 m2) of retail space on a site of 200 acres (0.81 km2). The community of Chafford Hundred has grown to the east of the centre since its opening. Its main rival is the Bluewater Shopping Centre in Greenhithe, Kent just across the River Thames.Main shopping centre
The shopping centre is one of the largest in Europe with 123,644 m² (1,330,936 ft²) available as retail floorspace although the MetroCentre in Gateshead, after its expansion in 2004, is larger. There are 228 shops, of which there are 3 department stores, 33 cafes and restaurants and a 26-acre (110,000 m2) lake named Alexandra Lake with a PADI certified diving school complex. Lakeside has on average 500,000 visitors per week.
It is currently open on weekdays from 10 am to 10 pm, Saturday from 9 am to 9 pm and Sunday from 11 am to 5 pm. The centre's car parks have capacity for 13,000 cars.
[edit] Transport connections
The centre has a direct link to Chafford Hundred railway station and is connected to the M25 motorway which is London's outermost ring road, as well as to the A13 road which connects central and east London to Basildon and Southend-on-Sea. It is connected to the London Bus network by London Buses routes 370 and 372 with other operators such as Arriva, Ensignbus and First Essex also providing bus services to the centre. Route X80 operated by Ensignbus provides a link to Chafford Hundred Station and Bluewater across the Dartford Crossing. First London have recently introduced Route 265 which provides a vital link to Brentwood. In 2007 London Transport announced that Zone 6 rates would be applied to routes 370 and 372 for all stops up to and including Lakeside (the zone had previously ended at Wennington, with an additional fare required to complete journeys to Lakeside).To ensure the centre maintains its competition with the newer (and what is perceived by some as more 'upmarket') Bluewater shopping centre, which lies just over the Thames in Greenhithe, Lakeside has recently undergone major refurbishment at a cost of £30 million. This included new Italian porcelain flooring, new lighting, a new ceiling and new glass roofs which allow much more natural light into the shopping centre. There are now also new, faster lifts, and 4 more escalators along with automatic entrance doors. A non-smoking policy across the whole shopping centre was also introduced in January 2004. The refurbishment has also encouraged refitting of many shops so that they complement the new surroundings. In September 2005, Next opened an 18,600 sq ft (1,730 m2). extension to their store.
The Lakeside Pavilion was an area adjoined to the main shopping centre via a covered bridge - this area had a 'market' feel to it, with various stalls selling novelty gifts, paintings and collector items adjacent to a small food court. By the beginning of 2006 this had been closed and partly removed for the construction of a new entertainment area named ‘The Boardwalk’.
Re-opened on Thursday 14 June 2007, The Boardwalk provides an additional 59,000 sq ft (5,500 m2). of retail space for 10 new restaurants along with more retail and leisure space, as well as a 10 metre boardwalk, offering external seating which overlooks Alexandra Lake. The newly refurbished Old Orleans bar and restaurant was open on the same day, with new features including a rooftop bar.
Vue cinema formed part of the old Lakeside Pavilion, with a 7 screen cinema. This closed on 11 January 2007 to be refurbished, and was re-opened on Friday 15 June 2007; the refurbishment resulted in 9 state of the art screens with stadium seating, including a premium "Gold Class" screen housing luxury reclinable armchair-style seating, and a special screen that would show major sporting, music and gaming events as well as key films. This 'Evolution Screen', with a combination of giant bean bag chairs and sofas, is the first of its kind in the UK. [1]
Apple opened[2] its tenth UK store at Lakeside Shopping Centre. [3]
Marks & Spencer, one of the centre's 4 anchor stores, applied for planning permission in July 2008 to allow construction of a 23,970 sq ft (2,230 m2) third storey extension to their store, in addition to an extensive refurbishment of the store layout and customer facilities. The application was approved at the end of October 2008 although it is unknown when construction will begin.
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