News first started to leak out on the evening of Saturday, 21 September: the Westgate mall, described as an upscale shopping centre in the Kenyan capital Nairobi, had been attacked by militants.
The following day, the “attack” turned into a full-blown siege. The whole world saw Kenyan soldiers running into the mall with their guns and innocent shoppers running out for their lives.
By the time the siege was over, four days later, a reported 67 people had been killed and up to 200 injured. The Islamic terrorist group al-Shabaab claimed responsibility for the attack.
The UK, like other countries, was horrified by the slaughter, but it was happening thousands of miles away. Then, in early October, came reports that three men had been arrested in London for planning a “Nairobi-style shopping centre” attack in the UK.
Those arrests, and the call made a week earlier by the Centre for the Protection of National Infrastructure advising British shopping malls to randomly screen bags, brought the fear of a Nairobi-style attack to these shores.
But bag searches and body searches are visible and intrusive. That is not the British way. “The idea of our shopping centres is a pleasant environment, where people want to be and want to spend time,” says Mike Davidson, head of retail operations at Land Securities. “So what we want to have is systems in place that make them as secure as possible without making people feel intimidated by what they see around them.”
The UK has endured such stop-and-search tactics before, during the Northern Ireland Troubles. Then hundreds of security guards in all shops, not just shopping centres, checked everyone’s bag. When peace came in 1996 after 32 years of bloodshed, many security people lost their jobs.
Tension and the threat of terrorism and violence in countries such as Turkey, Israel and South Africa means airport-style security gates are commonplace. “But we don’t want to go down the route of airport security at the moment,” says Richard Davies, partner, head of EMEA retail property and asset management at Cushman & Wakefield.
But what if what happened in Nairobi happened here? Would this prompt the type of security checks seen abroad? ?No, says Davies. “If one incident did occur, I don’t think you will see security gates,” he says. “But it does depend on the where, when, what and why.”
Davies adds: “Shopping centres are public places and yes, they are vulnerable to security threats, not just terrorism. You have lost children, suicides and vandalism. So what we do is get security teams to make sure they are diligent on all matters affecting security.”
Shopping centre developers usually work with security experts, councils and local police from the start of a scheme in order to design in appropriate security procedures.
Past governments have also looked at security measures. In 2007, under prime minister Gordon Brown’s leadership, security minister Lord West’s report, The National Security Strategy, made recommendations including the installation of physical barriers, vehicle exclusion zones, and requirements for buildings to be “blast resistant”.
Estates Gazette reported at the time: “Under these proposals, developers could have planning applications rejected on the grounds that elements of a proposed scheme, such as an underground car park, could be vulnerable to terrorist attack.”
Two years later, the Home Office and the Department of Communities and Local Government held consultations on crowded places and safer places. At the close of the consultation, the BPF and BCSC said the advice fell short of setting out an effective process to ensure measures were integrated into future developments and existing buildings. It needed more thought, they added.
With or without government guidance, the industry has long been doing all it can to put safety measures in place, both in design and in hiring and training the right people. It has also been working with official bodies to draw up guidelines.
On 18 October the BCSC, working with the National Counter Terrorism Security Office (NaCTSO), sent out an e-mail, Guidance Note 80: Firearms attacks in shopping centres, which detailed what should be done to prevent, and deal with, attacks on shopping centres.
Part of the document advises on allowing or designing in safe locations for people to shelter if an attack occurs. “Normally you would not want places where people could conceal themselves or conceal devices, so it’s interesting that they have brought that in,” says Simon Brimble, an associate director in Arup’s resilience security and risk practice.
Brimble thinks the move is a good idea, but he is not sure how the market, which has been favouring open-plan designs, will react. “[Designers] will need to look at how they balance these safe locations as opposed to them providing terrorist hiding places,” he says. “But, given that the type of [Nairobi] situation has never happened in the UK, I don’t initially think anything will happen with design.”
Michael Green, chief executive of the BCSC, adds: “UK shopping centres work closely and successfully with local authorities and the police in preparing for major incidents.
“Through the BCSC Security and Safer Shopping committee, we are constantly reviewing a cross-industry strategy with partner organisations.”
What other developers say
WESTFIELD: “The safety of our shoppers, retailers and staff is our number one priority. Westfield works closely with its on-site security team, as well as the various authorities, to help ensure it has the appropriate level of security in place at all times.”
INTU:“We obviously cannot comment on the details of our security operation. However, the safety of all our shoppers, staff and retailers’ employees is our number one concern and our operations and security teams are in constant dialogue with the relevant authorities at national and regional level. We regularly review our security procedures so we are in the best possible position to ensure the safety and wellbeing of visitors to our centres at all times.”
noella.piokivlehan@estatesgazette.com
