South Gloucestershire Council officers are recommending granting permission
15:45, 08 May 2025Updated 15:50, 08 May 2025
How the Aldi at Riverside Retail Park in Yate would look(Image: Aldi/Kendall Kingscott)
Plans to turn a former cinema into an Aldi supermarket that have divided a South Gloucestershire town are set to be approved.
Councillors are being recommended to grant permission for the change of use of the Cineworld site, which shut last October, at Riverside Retail Park next to Yate town centre.
A report to the development management committee, which meets on Thursday, May 15, said 367 residents had written letters of support while there were 310 objections, along with Yate Town Council.
Concerns include the loss of a leisure facility, the impact on parking and traffic, poor access for pedestrians and cyclists, fears for wildlife at the River Frome Site of Nature Conservation Interest next to the site, and noise for neighbours from late-night deliveries.
But a report by South Gloucestershire Council planning officers to the committee said the proposals were acceptable.
It said: “It is regrettable that the cinema would be lost through this application though it is noted that the cinema had closed prior to the submission of this application.
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“There is no policy basis for the refusal of planning permission due to the loss of the cinema.
“There would be no adverse impacts on the character of the area as a result of this proposal.
“Whilst there would be a net increase in traffic, it is not considered that this would be material to cause a severe impact on the highway network.
“There may be a short period of time where the car park may become full.
“Officers are however satisfied that the parking demand created by the proposed use can be sufficiently accommodated within the existing car park.”
It said cabinet member for planning, regeneration and infrastructure Cllr Chris Willmore (Lib Dem, Yate North), who called-in the application to the committee, requested that Aldi should pay for improvements to a bridge to the south-west because of fears for pedestrian safety as it is too narrow to accommodate the expected increase in active travel movements.
But the report said there were two other bridges for pedestrians and cyclists, so developer contributions could not be required.
It said an existing condition restricting deliveries to between 7am and 11pm would be retained to limit the impact on residents.
The report said that, subject to conditions, the development would not have any adverse impacts on wildlife at the nature reserve
It said: “It is assessed that the proposed use would likely have an impact on the other retailers within Yate town centre, though the biggest impact is likely to be on Lidl on Kennedy Way, which itself is an edge-of-centre location and therefore does not benefit from policy protection.
“It is likely that there would be an impact on supermarkets within the primary shopping area, resulting in a trade diversion impact of approximately 9.5 per cent.
“It is considered that the centre would remain broadly successful and the likely impact of this proposal would not be significantly adverse.”
There would be 214 car parking spaces, a reduction of 13, with an increase of one accessible bay to 20 and seven parent and child spaces.
Planning permission was granted in 2021 to subdivide the B&Q store on the other side of the town centre to form a foodstore and another shop, which was intended to be occupied by Aldi, but this never went ahead and the consent has now expired.
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