Yate town councillors support bid to turn empty shops into restaurants (From Gazette Series)

Yate town councillors support bid to turn empty shops into restaurants

10:30am Thursday 11th March 2010

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TOWN councillors in Yate are supporting an appeal to turn empty shops into two new restaurants.

Shopping centre owners Dominion Corporate Trustees were refused planning permission to redevelop the former Adam’s children’s clothing store and Motorworld shop on South Parade at the beginning of the year.

The company vowed to appeal against South Gloucestershire Council’s decision and Yate Town Council has added its support to the bid.

Cllr Chris Willmore said: "We still strongly support the principle of this application. We would like to see as much disabled parking as possible and the loss of as few trees as possible."

The council is hoping to attract large chains such as Bella Italia and Pizza Express and the restaurants would be in keeping with the council’s plan to create a night-time economy in Yate.

Dominion property developer Mark Hull said the refusal was ‘ridiculous’.

"We are not going to just sit on this," he told the Gazette in January. "We did everything we were asked to do and these decisions are being made by people who do not know Yate."

Dominion’s plans include a 35-space car park outside Yate Post Office and the demolition of a former picture framing shop.

South Gloucestershire Council planning officer Chris Gosling said the authority supported the diversification of Yate Shopping Centre but said it could not allow the car park to go ahead.

He said: "The change of use from retail to restaurant units is considered to aid the diversification of use of land within the centre of Yate, which would boost the night-time economy locally and provide facilities which would be appropriate to a town centre.

"This consultation process has raised concerns over the loss of landscaping which would occur through the creation of a car park.

"The proposed design is not considered to integrate the car parking successfully within the pedestrian areas, giving too much prominence to the former and reducing the pedestrian area to a pavement narrower than that fronting shops in other parts of the town centre."

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