Interview with Stuart Mosscrop part 2

Stuart describes his team’s work on the shopping building, which began in 1971. He admits: ‘we didn’t know how large to make it [the whole building] …and were completely naive about the reality of lettings’; Alan Duff’s Commerce team did a ‘sterling job’ filling the building. The design was in line with the Master Plan, using arcades. He recalls why they chose to service at first floor level. Stuart notes they were trying to design not just a shopping mall, but a town centre with mixed usage. He comments they had ‘No programme, no budget, no interference’. Size was a worry for Jock Campbell (MKDC Chairman) until John Lewis signed up, when he realised they were building a regional centre. Stuart notes that the 1 million square foot design was backed by Fred Roche. The team found inspiration in: ‘A beautiful book, Passagen, by Johann Friedrich Geist, on the imaginative use of iron and glass in European city centres in the 19th century’. He praises his design team: ‘…they were so good’, and admired engineers, particularly Frank Newby for Middleton Hall’s structure; he commends Ken Baker for CMK infrastructure. Stuart believes the city centre is standing the test of time but is dismayed by the poor maintenance of infrastructure, and changes at the west end. He was pleased with the railway station design; but sad about the bus station, designed by Derek Eden, now ‘decrepit’. His views about Midsummer Place/Intu are ‘not really repeatable’.

They discuss possible future changes for retail, and CMK in particular. In Stuart’s opinion, there is no need for more retail space, but he sees the proposal for a University by Cranfield as good news. In his opinion, Intu, the Food Centre and the Point should be demolished. Stuart recalls visits by the Queen & Mrs Thatcher to the shopping building and discusses his good relationship with Jock Campbell. He praises Fred Roche’s fundamental contribution to the city: ‘It wouldn’t have happened without his …grim determination’. Also he believes MKDC needed a man like Frank Henshaw to follow Fred, with his feet on the ground. Looking at the city overall, Stuart says he is most proud of ‘its generosity of space and … the quality of the landscaping’. He hopes that future generations will come to treasure that space. Stuart is principally proud of the basic framework of city centre design: ‘That’s what I was asked to do’.