Princesshay Shopping Centre, Exeter: tenant communications and security infrastructure
One of the earliest deployments of ACCL’s Tenant Active System, still running the centre’s day-to-day communications years on.
ACCL’s Tenant Active System (TAS) was one of the earliest deployments of its kind when it was installed at Princesshay Shopping Centre in Exeter, giving Land Securities’ on-site team, retailers and security staff constant, reliable contact with each other. Years on, Operations Manager Andy Littlejohns describes a system that runs smoothly, speeds up weekly reporting and has become part of how the centre manages security, fire testing and day-to-day tenant communication.
The result
Years after installation, TAS remains central to how Princesshay operates day to day. The system has delivered:
- One of the first shopping centres to install ACCL’s Tenant Active System
- Real-time two-way voice and text communication between management, retailers and security
- Weekly retail turnover reporting delivered instantly instead of manually
- Coordinated block-by-block fire testing directly with individual retailers
- System updates installed with zero disruption to daily centre operations
- A full audit trail of centre communications
Services delivered
Overview
A reliable, responsive communications system is essential in any public place, and a shopping centre is no exception. Centre management, retailers and security teams all need a system that is reliable in a genuine emergency, effective within the physical environment, efficient enough to handle real call volumes, and affordable enough to roll out across every tenant.
Princesshay Shopping Centre in Exeter, owned and managed by Land Securities, was one of the first shopping centres to install ACCL’s Tenant Active System (TAS), the tenant communications platform ACCL developed specifically for retail and leisure environments.
The challenge
Before TAS, Princesshay had no dedicated way to keep centre management, retail occupiers and security staff in constant contact. Any system introduced needed to meet a demanding brief: reliable in a genuine emergency, effective within the environment, efficient enough to avoid a busy line when it mattered, and affordable enough to roll out across dozens of individual retail units.
As with any new system, getting it right on the ground took some early adjustment. Andy Littlejohns, Operations Manager for Land Securities at Princesshay, explains:
“When the system was initially installed, the phone sets were not positioned in entirely the best or most appropriate positions, some had even been housed in cupboards by the tenants’ fitting-out contractors! But once ACCL moved these to better positions, the system has generally run extremely smoothly.”Andy Littlejohns, Operations Manager, Land Securities
That kind of on-the-ground fix, positioning devices where retail staff would actually use them, made the difference between a system that technically worked and one the centre could rely on.
Project context
Retail and shopping centres · Exeter, UK
Structured cabling for commercial premises →Coordinating communications across a multi-tenant site?
ACCL built one of the earliest Tenant Active System deployments at Princesshay Shopping Centre, and the system still runs the centre’s day-to-day communications years on. Talk to us about a similar retail or multi-tenant environment.
Beyond emergency communications
TAS was designed to handle more than emergencies. Security staff have come to rely on the system: occupiers can call the team at any time, and staff can respond immediately, day or night. Weekly retail turnover figures, once collected by hand, a time-consuming and often inaccurate task, can now be submitted by occupiers at the touch of a button, making management reporting almost instantaneous.
Weekly fire tests are coordinated the same way. Before setting off a test, the centre team can talk directly to each retail occupier and tell them exactly when testing will happen, carrying out the process block by block. It is quicker and more efficient for everyone involved, and it has had a positive effect on the relationship between management and tenants.
Technologies used
A relationship built on responsiveness
Princesshay’s relationship with ACCL has continued well beyond the original installation. ACCL monitors the TAS system remotely, with the ability to be on-site at short notice whenever needed, and senior ACCL managers, including Managing Director Wayne Connors, have stayed closely involved in how the system performs.
Software updates are installed with no disruption to the centre, which continues to operate exactly as normal throughout the process. Land Securities has since installed the same TAS system at its St David’s shopping centre in Cardiff too, a site more than six times the size of Princesshay.
ACCL’s role
This project covered more than a one-off installation. ACCL’s scope has included:
- Deploying TAS at one of its earliest sites
- Running TAS over the centre’s existing IP telephony platform
- Repositioning tenant phone handsets for practical day-to-day use
- Supporting two-way voice and text communication for security and retailers
- Enabling automated weekly turnover reporting for retail occupiers
- Coordinating block-by-block fire test communications
- Installing software updates with zero disruption to trading
- Providing ongoing remote monitoring and on-site support
Why the project matters
Princesshay shows how a purpose-built retail communications system earns its place over years of daily use, not just at the point of installation. What started as one of the first Tenant Active System deployments became embedded in the centre’s day-to-day operations: security response, fire testing, and even how retailers report their weekly figures.
It also shows the value of ACCL’s ongoing relationship with a client. Early teething problems, like poorly positioned handsets, were fixed quickly, and Land Securities has since installed the same system at its much larger St David’s centre in Cardiff, a vote of confidence built on Princesshay’s experience.
Related guidance
Foreword by Wayne
“Princesshay was one of the first shopping centres to trust us with the Tenant Active System, back when it was still a new idea for a lot of centre managers. What I like about this one is how long it has lasted in daily use. Andy and his team did not just install TAS and move on: they used it every week, for security, for fire testing, for turnover reporting, and that is exactly the kind of relationship we want with a client. When something was not quite right, like handsets stuck in a cupboard, we fixed it and moved on. Years later Land Securities trusted the same system at a site six times the size in Cardiff. That is the best endorsement a product like TAS can get.”Wayne Connors, Managing Director, ACCL
“It has to be said that the maintenance costs associated with the TAS system aren’t cheap but it certainly represents excellent value for money. The service you get from ACCL is superb. Not only that, they comply with all the necessary regulations in terms of health and safety and other legal requirements.”Andy Littlejohns, Operations Manager, Land Securities
Frequently asked questions
What did ACCL install at Princesshay Shopping Centre?
ACCL installed the Tenant Active System (TAS), a tenant communications platform running over the centre’s existing IP telephony network, giving centre management, retailers and security staff constant contact with each other.
What is the Tenant Active System (TAS)?
TAS is a shopping-centre communications application developed by ACCL, providing two-way voice and text communication between centre management and retail tenants over an existing IP telephony platform.
Why did Princesshay need a dedicated tenant communication system?
Centre management, retailers and security teams needed a system that was reliable in a genuine emergency, effective within the physical environment, efficient enough to avoid a busy line, and affordable enough to roll out across every tenant.
Did TAS use Princesshay’s existing communications platform?
Yes. TAS was built to run over the centre’s existing IP telephony platform rather than requiring a separate communications system.
How did ACCL resolve early issues with the system?
Some tenant phone handsets were initially positioned poorly, including inside cupboards installed by tenants’ own fitting-out contractors. ACCL repositioned these, after which the system ran smoothly.
How does TAS support security at Princesshay?
Occupiers can contact the security team at any time through TAS, and staff can respond immediately, day or night, improving the flow of communication during incidents.
How does TAS help with retail turnover reporting?
Weekly retail turnover figures, previously collected by hand, can now be submitted by occupiers through TAS at the touch of a button, making management reporting almost instantaneous.
How does TAS support weekly fire testing?
Centre management can tell each retail occupier directly when a fire test will happen and run tests block by block, making the process quicker and improving the relationship between management and tenants.
Does ACCL provide ongoing support for the system?
Yes. ACCL monitors the TAS system remotely and can attend on-site at short notice. Software updates are installed with no disruption to the centre’s normal operation.
Was Princesshay one of the first TAS deployments?
Yes. Princesshay was one of the first shopping centres to install ACCL’s Tenant Active System.
Has Land Securities installed TAS elsewhere?
Yes. Land Securities has also installed a TAS system at its St David’s shopping centre in Cardiff, a site more than six times the size of Princesshay.
Managing communications across a multi-tenant site?
Talk to the team behind one of the first Tenant Active System deployments, still running Princesshay Shopping Centre’s day-to-day communications years on.
Book a free site survey 0333 900 0101