How Cheshire shopping centre manager has climbed to the top

The 58-year-old started at the very bottom, climbing the ranks and learning as he went to become centre manager of Cockhedge Shopping Centre in Warrington.

He has witnessed vast changes over the years at the site – none more so than the current redevelopment of the town centre precinct.

Driven by asset developers Altered Space, a major revamp is underway at Cockhedge, with new retailers moving in and others due to be confirmed shortly.

“It was May 1990 when I started. I started off sweeping the car park and working as a cleaner and maintenance guy here, so I have painted and swept every square inch,” explained Birchwood resident George.

“When I started in 1990, it just had an extension and doubled its size, and basically we have almost gone full circle now.

George Wesson is the longest serving centre manager in Cockhedge history

“We have become more succinct and back to where we were when I first joined, so it is a little bit like coming home with the latest developments.”

After general maintenance and cleaning, George became the maintenance supervisor, and then the assistant manager, and he has been centre manager since 2008.

Those 16 years at the helm mean he is now the longest serving centre manager in Cockhedge history, with a lot of change occurring during the past decade-and-a-half.

“Tenants have come and gone over the years. We used to have a big Halford’s here and a B&Q,” he continued.

“These are the kind of places that you will still find in Warrington, but at different locations now, so there has definitely been a change as far as retail goes.

Changes are underway at Cockhedge Shopping Centre

“Big retail parks have opened in the town and on the fringes of the town centre, and these kinds of operators have tended to locate to these kinds of areas.

“Town centres have become a little bit more niche, with the bigger operators on the periphery now in these big retail parks.

“It is thinking of different ways to keep people coming into the town centre which is part of what is driving the redevelopment of Cockhedge – for it to become more succinct and more suitable for the modern environment of the town centre, serving the community local to the town centre.”

A couple of years ago, it seemed that shopping centres in Warrington had lots of empty units, but in the past year, units are starting to be filled again.

On this, George explained: “We had the big downturn in 2008 that hit towns generally and a lot of retailers, and I think people are just starting to find their way back, and some retailers are able to take advantage of the space that is available.

“But I also think it is through development, and shopping centres including Cockhedge are looking to make better use of the available space.

Changes are underway at Cockhedge Shopping Centre

“We have been reducing the size of the mall, which is only 50 per cent of the size that it used to be, but this has meant that we have been able to develop the area around the main car park.

“We have been making better use of the big Argos unit that is there, and hopefully we will have people going in there very shortly.

“We have got Coffee House, which is our first major new tenant that has opened up on the corner, and that is the sort of indication of how things are changing.

“There is more leisure and health and fitness, with the big JD gym and the medical centre in the mall itself.

“That is just a reflection of how things are changing with town centres and shopping centres, which need to be more of something for everybody and for the community, and especially with lots of residential areas going up around the town centre.”

Work is expected to finish on the centre redevelopment in mid to the end of November, after which units will start to be filled and open.

An impression of how the centre will look once work is complete

Although ongoing discussions remain confidential, George added: “All of the space that looks vacant at the moment has firm interest, or we are quite advanced along in talks with operators to come in.

“One of those looks to be leisure usage, which would be good because there will be something hopefully that will bring families and new people into the shopping centre.

“It is a slightly different offering than what we have had previously, and it will fit in well with the other people that are coming in.

“We obviously love to see people down here, and what we are trying to do is get back to a bit more of a community basis for the centre, which is smaller in size, more succinct and more fitting for the modern retail environment.

“It fits in well with what Cockhedge has been known for. It is a famous area of Warrington and has always been an area for hard-working people and community, and that's what we really want going forward.”