Built in 1999 as a joint venture between Tesco and British Land, Serpentine Green was built to serve the ever-growing local community. Surrounded only by muddy fields when it opened its doors in 1999, the centre is now cocooned by housing and a community which includes a local police station, two primary schools and a high school, of which centre manager Dennis Baldry is a governor.

And with what was the largest Tesco Extra in the whole of the UK when it was built, and 31 other shop units, including the likes of Boots, H&M, Next, Gap and New Look, Baldry believes that Hampton residents are very lucky to have the centre on their doorstep.

"There are well over 7,500 homes being built in the immediate area so we're in effect the local store for the three local townships," says Baldry, who adds that despite the increase in population there are no plans on the horizon to extend the centre. "But we can never say never," he admits. "We currently have a small area of adjacent land which could have future development potential."

Beyond the immediate catchment, shoppers come from within a 20-minute drivetime. The 24-hour Tesco Extra is a huge draw, but in recent years shoppers have also come to visit Serpentine Green for its range of other tenants. Free parking at the centre is another strong draw for shoppers, who find parking in Peterborough city centre difficult and expensive.

"Our marketing campaign is about highlighting all the tenants," says Baldry. "Tesco has enough national advertising so it's more about emphasising that we are not just a Tesco, there are other tenants here offering a range of goods and services.

"It's different to places I've worked previously because people are coming here to shop at Tesco and some see it as 'while I'm here, I'll go to Next or Gap', but as time has progressed, instead of paying to park in the city centre to go to Next, they just come here."

Serpentine Green uses radio and press to attract customers to the scheme but is also very focused on community interaction through events such as a wedding fair at the start of the year and a fashion show at the end. While the fashion show promotes the retailers' fashions available within the centre, the wedding fair also includes companies from outside the scheme. "Both events are purely footfall driven to promote the centre and draw people in," says Baldry. "It's not about making a profit. Luckily we have the flexibility to manage the mall space in-house so we can use it to promote whatever we choose, and we set aside space for local charities and other groups. We don't need to make a minimum each week on mall income."

The centre also sponsors local preschools and theatre groups and gets involved in council events, such as the Peterborough Festival.

"Being in the middle of Hampton, we support events within the community to foster a sense of ownership of the place," Baldry says. "Serpentine Green is a gathering place for central Hampton."

Open round the clock, security is important at the centre. Both security and cleaning are carried out in-house while a Motorola and Icom two-way radio communications system, which links not only to the shops in the centre but back to the CCTV room in central Peterborough, is provided by DCRS.

In the town centre, forthcoming extension and refurbishment works at Queensgate shopping centre may have an effect on Serpentine Green but Baldry thinks it will be a good move for Peterborough as a whole. Overall he is careful that they don't compete directly with the city centre. "We enhance each other. Queensgate is more or less the city centre and I think to try and compete against it is not the best course.

"We have 2,500 free car parking spaces and more or less the same stores as the city centre but with easier access. That's our biggest selling point."

The centre is currently fully let. "Most are fairly static long-term lets," says Baldry. "It's fairly stable which is good. We don't suffer from regular tenant turnover."

In addition their five RMUs are also currently let. Four are fully let for the whole of next year and one is left open for 'as and when'. "It's really intended for a local person who has a business idea and wants to rent for a day or a week," says Baldry.

vital statistics

serpentine green

Owners: Tesco and British Land

Managing agents: GVA Grimley

Letting agent: Morgan Williams

GLA: 350,000 sq ft

Weekly footfall: 120,000

Total footfall for 2006: 6.5 million

Number of units: 32

Catchment: 216,000 within 20-minute drive

Anchor stores: Tesco Extra, Boots, Next, H&M

Additional services: Library, doctors' surgery and creche

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