ONE of Britain's most familiar High Street retailers has announced it plans to open in Yate, the Gazette can reveal.

Marks and Spencer wants to move in to two of four new units which are being built as part of the redevelopment of a Tesco Extra supermarket in the town.

The company wants to combine the two shops to make a Simply Food store but will also sell clothing and gifts. Yate Shopping Centre manager Andrew Lowrey said: "The announcement that Marks and 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."

He added: "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."

Planning permission has already been granted for the four units but South Gloucestershire Council will now consider allowing two units to be merged to form the new M&S store. If approved, it would boast 1,678 square metres of floorspace and would sell food and non-food items.

The new Tesco Extra store, the second largest in the South West, is due to open on Monday, October 24.

A temporary Tesco store which has been operating in a car park since February will close a week earlier, at 4pm on Sunday, October 16.

Tesco corporate affairs manager Sophie Akokhia said: "We appreciate that this will leave our customers without a store in Yate town centre for a week but we feel it is important to complete all the necessary works in the car park to prevent further disruption after the new Extra store opens.

"The temporary store will be removed starting on Monday, October 17 and the car park restored thereafter. A full announcement about the works and their impact on shoppers will be issued early later this month.

"Meanwhile, there are still Tesco Express stores in Station Road and Brimsham Park and further afield in Thornbury and The Willow Centre at Bradley Stoke. There is also a home delivery service operating from Bradley Stoke."

For more reaction to the news, make sure you pick up a copy of the Gazette on Thursday.