How does that theory go? Something about how the faintest flicker of a butterfly’s wing can cause a chain of events leading to large-scale, possibly global, destruction? Actually, maybe the consequences aren’t quite that catastrophic. I can’t remember now, but it’s bad.
Well, on October 9th 2007,
Westfield Derby proudly fluttered open its many doors to the city’s paying public and changed the dynamics of Derby’s city centre forever. OK, maybe not forever, but certainly for a long time to come. But I can promise you here and now that this isn’t the part where I start moralising, as many already have, about the corrosive nature of such a corporate conglomeration of retail power. Yes it’s a force to be reckoned with, but it’s brought with it a dazzlingly dynamic and visually vibrant mix of fashion, food and leisure – not to mention over 100 new shops – to our beloved city.

So I’ll stick my neck out right now and admit that I’m a big fan of 'The Westfield'. There, I said it. However, am I the only one who’s frustrated in thinking that it could have been given a significantly more inspiring name? Is it too much to ask for our glorious shopping centre to be given a cool and funky title rather than a typically corporate one? It must have taken all of 30 seconds to come up with ‘Westfield Derby’.
Like many others, my first experience of Westfield was on the night it first opened. I just couldn’t resist it. We’d all driven past, we’d all seen the rapidly altering shape of Derby's skyline, and here it was, the moment of truth; an opportunity to see whether it lived up to the hype. And I have to admit that it totally exceeded my expectations.

The tiled floors sparkled with pride, as did the perfectly-dressed fascias of Derby’s new stores. It was a fashionista's dream. The likes of Zara, H&M and All Saints had all found a home in Derby. M&S, Next and Debenhams all boasted their new, cutting-edge, identities. If nothing else, Westfield had lived up to its promise of “breathing new life into the cosmopolitan heart of the city”.
The experience was also a strangely disorientating one. For the first time since I can remember, I had no idea where I was in my own city. Which way did I need to turn to face the cathedral? How did I get back outside? Suddenly, it didn’t feel like Derby at all...and although I wasn’t complaining, others already were.

Many have claimed that the shift in emphasis from one end of the city to the other has ripped the heart out of Derby. It’s certainly true that, in the short-term, Westfield has created a vacuum for smaller independent stores who find themselves on a high-street littered with boarded-up windows and empty units. On the flipside, it’s given other parts of the city centre a serious boot up the behind and the opportunity to redefine themselves entirely.
The Cathedral Quarter is already starting to create a meaningful identity for itself and The Lanes is next on the list.
Whatever your thoughts on Westfield, it’s here to stay, so let’s indulge in its many delights whilst continuing to support Derby's independent retailers and embracing the city’s longer-term Masterplan.