A LONG-AWAITED cinema for Yate has finally won the backing of a developer after a decade of campaigning.
A five-screen cinema is being proposed by shopping centre owners the Dominion Trust, along with a leisure park including restaurants, a bingo hall and possibly a bowling alley.
The development is being earmarked for the shopping centre’s overflow car park on Link Road.
Property manager for Dominion, Mark Hull, told the Gazette: "This is in line with our masterplan which we prepared after we bought the shopping centre.
"It is on the understanding that Yate does not have any evening activity or a night time economy and we are putting together the major wants and requirements of the people of Yate.
"The overflow car park is close enough to the town centre to make the town one and far enough away to make it a destination in itself."
Mr Hull said restaurant chains such as Frankie and Benny’s would be approached to open in the leisure park as well as a bingo hall and a cinema operator. The land could also become home to new out-of-town retail units.
Dominion owns the land behind the overflow car park, eastwards to the boundary with Ridge Wood and to the south up to Kennedy Way, which is currently home to wildlife and is prone to flooding. The Environment Agency previously blocked plans for a new health centre on the site, which was originally planned on Link Road but has now been built in the shopping centre, because of the flood risk.
A spokesman for architects Haskoll, which have been appointed by Dominion, said: "Dominion commissioned a flood risk analysis specific to the Link Road site and have been in liaison with the Environment Agency who had previously produced a study for the whole of the River Frome.
"This part of the river is not subject to flash flooding with anticipated warning periods in excess of 48 hours likely."
Town councillor Chris Willmore said the proposed leisure park was welcomed as long as Dominion sticks to its promises.
She said: "These are things we desperately want. We definitely want a cinema but we have to be clear we are going to get it.
"I have been around for 30 years and have seen developers come along with plans for things we really want but funnily enough they are the things that never get built."
Residents in Yate have been campaigning for a cinema for many years. In 2003, the Gazette backed the Cinema4Yate campaign led by Northavon MP Steve Webb but despite numerous plans, a facility has never become a reality.
The proposals will be discussed at a meeting of the Yate Town Centre Strategy Group on Wednesday, March 3 (6.30pm) at Poole Court.
Dominion hopes to win the backing of Yate Town Council and the Environment Agency before submitting a planning application for the new facilities.
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