YATE MARKS & SPENCER SIMPLY FOOD STORE APPLICATION SUBMITTED

The owners of Yate Shopping Centre have submitted a planning application for a Marks & Spencer Simply Food store in East Walk at the Yate Shopping Centre.

The application is for a new unit of combined floorspace at ground and first floor level of 1,678 square metres to sell both food and non-food goods as typically found in such a store.

Planning permission was granted by South Gloucestershire Council in July 2009 for four new retail units in East Walk, located directly opposite the new Tesco Extra store. This application seeks to amend that permission to accommodate the Marks & Spencer store. Two of the units will be merged at ground floor level to form the new store.

Andrew Lowrey, Yate Shopping Centre Manager, said: "The announcement that Marks & Spencer want to take part of the new development in East Walk is a tremendous boost for both the Centre and Yate.

"With such a prominent high street name coming onboard along with the new Tesco store and smaller retail units under the Tesco Extra, the eastern end of the shopping centre will experience a major transformation that is certain to be a major crowd puller! We hope that if all goes according to plan, the new Marks & Spencer will be open by late 2012.

"Furthermore, we are working hard to attract other leading names to fill the remaining two new units and existing vacant units. The emphasis over the next twelve months will be to ensure that the enthusiasm created by these new shops spreads throughout the shopping centre."