UK shopping centre that's been trading for 40 years to be demolished amid store closures

A shopping centre that has been trading in Wakefield for four decades is set to be demolished after senior councillors approved a major redevelopment plan. The Ridings Shopping Centre, which first opened in 1983 and was seen at the time as a pioneering, American-style retail complex, will make way for a £50 million transformation of the city centre.

The Labour-run Wakefield Council has agreed to buy the 1980s mall so it can be knocked down and replaced with new homes, leisure facilities, green spaces and event areas. The huge programme forms part of the new Cathedral Quarter regeneration scheme, which is designed to reshape the city centre over the next decade.

Announcing the decision, Councillor Jack Hemingway, the council's deputy leader and portfolio holder for regeneration, described the moment as "historic".

He told colleagues: "This is an historic moment for Wakefield. It's an important decision for the long-term future and prosperity of our city."

He said the plans would "bring leisure, opportunities for hospitality, green space, much needed housing, and help to restore the city's heritage and character with improved connectivity".

He added: "The rationale for this is clear - we must address the decline of our urban spaces. What was once one of our greatest assets is now holding us back."

The Ridings, built over four years and famous for its glass wall climber lift, food court and three-level entrances, was once a thriving destination.

But footfall has dropped sharply in recent years and the centre is now less than two-thirds full.