The Springs Shopping Centre Opens

1985

The Springs shopping centre opened in the 1980s as part of a major redevelopment of Havant town centre. The covered mall provided modern retail space for high street chains and smaller businesses, replacing older commercial premises and changing the character of the town centre. The Springs drew shoppers from across the borough and competed with the larger centres at Portsmouth and Chichester. The shopping centre was named after the natural springs that have defined Havant since its earliest days. The development brought covered, pedestrian-friendly shopping to the town but also changed the architectural character of the centre, replacing some older buildings with the standardised retail architecture of the period. The Springs remains the principal shopping destination in Havant town centre.