The Greenwich Meridian

Currently viewing images from 01 Jun 2007

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Accessed by car via Meridian Way, the Meridian Centre, which was planned and built in the 1970s is the main shopping centre in Peacehaven. Like much of the rest of Peacehaven, it has its many detractors. In addition to a supermarket and a smattering of small retail units, it houses the town’s main library, the Meridian Halls (community halls) and the council offices. Amongst the small businesses that once operated from the centre are Meridian Cleaners and Meridian Taxis (both now closed down). Although Meridian Taxis was superseded in around 2005–06 by Streamline Taxis (and subsequently by Costal Cabs), most of the signage in the Taxi rank is still (2018) marked as Meridian Taxis! The Centre was re-branded as The Cooperative Meridian Centre in June 2008. Although still present in the 2011 image set, the plaque commemorating the opening of the Centre (23 April 1979), has been obscured by a rather permanent looking fundraising sign.

The WGS84 Meridian slices through the car park and clips the western side of the complex. The Meridian Surgery moved into portacabins in the car park on 29 February 2008. To the east, stands Peacehaven Leisure Centre, which until taken over by Wave Leisure in about 2006, had been known as the Meridian Leisure Centre.

Peacehaven was originally laid out with a rectangular grid of roads bounded by the promenade to the south and Arundel Avenue to the north. As the town grew northwards, the grid was extended (see 1952 map). The southern part of the extended grid was redeveloped in the 1970s in order to provide a planned focus for retail activity in the town. Greenwich Way (running east-west) was created and the central part of Roderick Avenue (which runs northwards between the Airy and WGS84 Meridians) was renamed Meridian Way.

The map is the OS 1:10,560 Provisional Edition, published in 1952 (surveyed 1872, Re-levelled 1948–49, Boundaries revised to 1 June 1950: Revision of 1926 & part revision 1937 with additions in 1937–38 & 1950).