YATE Shopping Centre has been given a mixture of good and bad news this week, with the revelation that one High Street store is closing while another has signed a lease to open in the town.

Burton Menswear is to close its centre store later this year, the Gazette can reveal, but Costa Coffee has agreed to lease one of four new retail units being built on East Walk.

Burton will be closing its store in September, following months of speculation. Although the company has been reluctant to confirm the closure, staff at the shop in Four Seasons Square have been told it will shut on September 22.

The well-known High Street store is part of the Acadia Group which also owns Dorothy Perkins and Evans which both have outlets in Yate. It is understood the closure follows a dispute with the shopping centre over rent increases. Dorothy Perkins and Evans are not believed to be affected.

Shopping centre manager Andrew Lowrey said leases were regularly under negotiation.

"We are unable to comment on individual leases, however, with over 100 shops in the centre, by law of averages there are several leases being renegotiated or under review at any one time," he said.

"Many of these leases were originally signed nearly 25 years ago and over this period the retail market, brands and operator requirements have changed significantly."

In a separate development, it was announced Costa Coffee has signed a lease for a new unit due to be built next to Superdrug.

"This is yet another great name for the centre," he said. "We have recently received planning permission for new public toilets in West Walk and the existing facilities will be demolished prior to commencing the build of the new East Walk units in late summer 2012."

Costa will join Sports Direct and Marks & Spencer Simply Food in the new units and Mr Lowrey said the final occupant, although still to be confirmed, is most likely to be a leading fashion retailer.

He said the recent opening of 99p Stores, Poundland, and JD Wetherspoon had seen footfall increase from 2,500 per week to 20,000.

Said Mr Lowrey: "Our vacancy rates are below national averages despite difficult retail trading conditions evidenced by the disappearance of some well known brands over the last few months."

Birthdays closed recently after the firm went into administration and independent store Ace Cameras shut its doors last month.

Burton declined to comment on the future of its Yate store.