The Arcade Dewsbury: Building solid governance foundations for the UK’s first community‑run shopping centre

With its carved stonework, ornate wrought iron roof and elegant shop fronts, Dewsbury Arcade was built in 1899 at the height of the West Yorkshire town’s textile fortunes. 

Now, after a decade of disrepair, this Grade II‑listed Victorian building is set to re‑open in March 2026 – as the UK’s first community-run shopping centre. 

It’s all thanks to a group of dedicated local people passionate about breathing life back into the town centre. They secured funding to redevelop the building and formed a community benefit society (CBS) – The Arcade Dewsbury – to manage it. 

With contractors appointed and £120,000 raised through a community share offer, the team have been steadily preparing for the grand re‑opening, with expressions of interest coming in from a range of independent retailers. 

“Smaller units, offering goods like jewellery, brownies, perfume and flowers, have proven especially popular,” said Board Secretary and Development Director Chris Hill.

Behind the scenes, a major transformation has also taken place to secure the long-term sustainability of the organisation. 

Chris had played a central role in setting up the CBS and acknowledged the need for change. “It was in danger of becoming a bit of a one‑man show – me – because of the way we came about,” he explained. 

So, he recruited a new Chair and turned to Co‑operatives UK for a comprehensive Board Effectiveness Review and Governance Wheel Review, which were carried out by our experts Zena King and Dane Pollard. 

“It was a welcome knock into shape. I knew there were loads of things I wasn’t doing. It was good to have it pointed out that it had to be done.”

Chris secured funding to pay for the reviews with a grant from the Architectural Heritage Fund (AHF) – a UK registered charity promoting the conservation and sustainable re‑use of historic buildings for the benefit of local communities, particularly in economically disadvantaged areas.

It was a move he would recommend to similar organisations looking for a robust review of their governance. “They’re possibly the most flexible, supportive and straightforward funders I’ve dealt with in the last forty years,” he said of AHF. 

“The need for the review wasn’t born out of a crisis – our culture was always fine – and Zena felt that too, but there were huge gaps in process and policies.”

Zena identified 25 key recommendations, the majority of which have already been implemented. One of the first actions was to seek a treasurer and introduce more structured financial oversight. 

“Pre‑trading finances are simple – we had no management accounts,” said Chris. “Now, we’ve got management accounts coming to every board meeting, a development report, KPIs and an annual budget we report on.”

New policies were also introduced to clarify responsibilities and improve transparency. And with support from Dane Pollard, policies on director roles and financial processes were put in place too. “Dane’s work was very useful – and we’ve implemented all of it,” Chris said.

Board composition also got a shake up and there are now two new members with retail and co‑operative enterprise experience. And there was an unexpected outcome of the review, as Chris explained: “Originally, I set out that people would have to live or work in Dewsbury to be entitled to board membership,” he said.

“But it was pointed out that it wasn’t in the rules. So we had the discussion – and while a community business needs real local control, we’ve widened it to get the skills we need.”

While the team still need to finalise policies around HR, procurement and financial regulations before trading begins, its governance is now on much firmer ground. 

As the building prepares to open its doors to a new generation of independent retailers, The Arcade Dewsbury stands as a model for how community businesses can use governance support to create the solid foundations upon which to grow stronger. 

“The organisation operates much better now,” said Chris. “There’s a better check on progress, so it’s better monitored. It’s better but not necessarily easier. But that’s a good thing – people now have the resources they need to challenge if they want to.”

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