New Aldi at former cinema 'better than empty shop'

A councillor says turning a former Cineworld site into a supermarket is "better than an empty shop".

Residents in Yate have mixed opinions on the town's first Aldi opening after South Gloucestershire Council approved the supermarket chain's planning proposal for a new store at Yate's Riverside Retail Park on 15 May.

Set to open in early 2026, creating 40 jobs, 314 residents objected to the plans, along with Yate Town Council.

South Gloucestershire councillor Chris Willmore said shopping centre bosses had attempted to find a new cinema chain to take over the site but there had been no interest.

Willmore, cabinet member for planning, said: "It's much better for a town centre if all the units are full. Once you get empty shops, you get vandalism and crime and town centres start to decay.

"I was one of the lead campaigners to get the cinema, so in an ideal world we would have loved to keep it," she said.

"The new Aldi is better than an empty shop," she added.

Those opposing the new supermarket were outnumbered by residents in favour, with 397 letters of support being sent to the council, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Local resident Philip Springate used to visit the cinema weekly, but he now has to drive 12 miles (about 19km) to Bristol.

"It's a disaster for me and my dad because now we have to travel to Bristol. Even for the big films there were only about 15 people in there, but that's the same everywhere, everyone uses streaming now."

Meanwhile, another resident, Michael Parsons, said an Aldi was not needed.

"We've already got a Lidl, Tesco, Marks and Spencer. This car park is already full and the traffic is going to be horrible.

"Another cinema or a tenpin bowling would've been nice," he added.

But Jennifer Holland said the new Aldi would give locals a choice of where to shop.

She said: "Aldi is popular and in this day and age I shop around for the best deals. It'll be a bit of competition for the Lidl.

"I only used the cinema occasionally. Whenever I've been there's hardly anybody in there."

The council's principal planning officer, Suzanne D'Arcy, who recommended approval, said developers intended to extend security railings to make the pedestrian bridge safer and that a condition had been agreed to protect the nearby nature reserve.

She said other conditions would restrict the shop's floorspace to protect town centre stores and limit delivery hours.

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