THE Oracle has won a national gold award after being voted top of the shops.

The retail hub was presented with the prestigious ‘Established Centre’ Gold Award by the British Council of Shopping Centres (BCSC) at a ceremony at London’s Grosvenor House Hotel.

To achieve Gold, shopping centres have to prove their excellence in a series of categories including designs, financial performance and interaction with customers and the community.

The Oracle picked up the accolade – among the most coveted in the industry – for its successful growth through innovative management.

The judges added that the tenant mix “remains fresh” and the food on offer around the centre “should be used by today’s developers as a benchmark”.

Steve Belam, general manager of The Oracle, said: “We are really excited to have been nominated by the BCSC jury, and we were absolutely thrilled to go on to win the Gold Award.

“We are continuously working to find ways to strengthen our position as the region’s premier shopping destination and to improve the shopping experience for our customers, and this recognition from the BCSC is testament to the hard work and effort of The Oracle’s management team, its staff and its retailers.”