Filton Journal

Major retailers are now opening their doors at the revitalised Abbey Wood Shopping Park in Filton, Bristol.

The shopping park, which has undergone a £10 million refurbishment and extension, is now home to Asda, Costa Coffee and restaurant chains Frankie & Benny’s and Nando’s.

Sporting Pro, the new sports fascia owned by value fashion chain Matalan and backed by Intersport, will also open its first store in the South West at the park before Christmas.

The development of the park has included redesigning the car park and common areas to create a public realm and developing buildings to provide new community space and leisure facilities.

Frankie & Benny’s opened to the public last month and was followed yesterday (Monday 2nd December) by a new 24-hour Asda store.

Costa Coffee, Nando’s and Sporting Pro will complete this phase of new stores, opening within the next few weeks.

These new shops and restaurants join existing retailers Matalan, Pets at Home, Brantano, Next Clearance and McDonalds.

Further stores that have signed up to the scheme, including a new Subway and other national chains still to be announced, which are expected to open to the public before spring next year.

Ian Cody, Asset Manager, Hermes Real Estate Investment Management Limited (HREIML), commented:

“This is an exciting time for the scheme and we’re looking forward to working with the new and existing shops and restaurants to provide a new shopping and leisure destination for the local community.”

“The area is rapidly developing with new homes, businesses, the university campus and public facilities so it’s important to us that we provide a central location where people can get their groceries, take their pets to the vet, shop for clothes, homeware and come together to socialise.”

“The park has the opportunity to be a local hub and we’re keen to develop that further. The next step will be turning the community space into a doctor’s surgery, post office and library or exercise space – a place that is beneficial to nearby businesses and local residents.”

More: New footbridge constructed to improve access to rail station »

Discussion is open - 1 comment (view) - click here to respond.

A local ambulance charity helped open the new Asda Filton supermarket today, following the store’s search for a ‘local hero’.

Great Western Air Ambulance Charity (GWAAC) celebrated with more than 400 customers, Asda colleagues, the Chair of South Gloucestershire Council Cllr Ian Boulton and a host of local community figures, for what was a grand opening to remember.

The charity was chosen from hundreds of nominations by local people to open the new supermarket, situated on the Abbey Wood Shopping Park, just off the A4174 Avon Ring Road and adjacent to the massive MoD Abbey Wood complex.

The GWAAC fundraising team was present to meet the local community and spread the message about the work of the organisation, which provides an air ambulance service for the 2.1m people of Bristol, Bath and the surrounding counties.

Bristol singer/songwriter George Ray was also there to perform his new charity single “Time Goes By Too Quickly”, with all proceeds from the song going to the St Peter’s Hospice where his mother was cared for, as well as other songs written by the local star.

The Bristol Male Voice Choir completed the line-up, performing a selection of Christmas carols as the doors were thrown open, filling customers with festive cheer as they entered the store.

More: £200 cheque donated to the air ambulance service »

Discussion is open - be the first to comment - click here to respond.

Planners at South Gloucestershire Council (SGC) have granted permission for the Filton Park (Texaco) Service Station on Gloucester Road North to be demolished and replaced with four retail units and a café.

The site lies between the junctions of Braemar Avenue and Broncksea Road and is separated from a block of shops and apartments to the south by a row of large Cypress trees.

The approved plans show one larger shop unit (290m2) to the south of the site, with three smaller shop units (each 90m2) and a café unit (140m2) separated from the main road by a car parking area having 21 spaces.

Vehicular access will be from the main road at a single point, with pedestrian access from both the main road and Broncksea Road.

Opening times will be limited to 7am to 11pm and the development is anticipated to employ 14 full-time and 26 part-time staff.

A previous application to redevelop the site was withdrawn earlier this year. The revised plans that have now been approved have the new buildings scaled down in size and set back further from the main road.

In comments submitted on the application, Filton Town Council “strongly recommended” that the petrol station’s redundant tanks be completely removed, as the new building will be constructed above them, but SGC officers say this will depend on the outcome of a contamination report which the applicant is required to submit following investigation by an expert.

Discussion is open - be the first to comment - click here to respond.

A brand new supermarket is looking to build relationships with local groups when it opens its doors on Monday 2nd December.

Asda Filton is calling on any group from a scout troop, to a charity, nursery school or voluntary organisation to visit the store to look at ways it can work with colleagues in the future.

Anne Maddox, community life champion at the store, said:

“Asda has a really good community approach. We do a lot for charity through our ‘Chosen by You’ voting scheme, where customers can nominate local groups and organisations to be voted for by other shoppers, using green tokens given out at the checkouts. This is a bi-monthly vote and the winner receives £200 from the Asda Foundation, whilst two runners up will each receive £50.”

David Rolph, store manager at Asda Filton, added:

“It’s so important to us that we are part of the community and we look forward to meeting our new customers on opening day.”

The £20m store, located at the Abbey Wood Retail Park, will create 250 new jobs which David believes will help breathe life back into the area:

“The retail park has looked a little the worse for wear since the closure of its anchor stores but the arrival of Asda should bring large numbers of shoppers back.”

The 30,000sqft store will feature a host of exciting ranges such as fresh counters, a George clothing department and customer restaurant.

It will also feature Asda’s Chosen by You food range and customers will be able to use the Asda Price Guarantee (APG). This will allow shoppers the chance to compare the price of their shop with competitor supermarkets and if Asda isn’t 10% cheaper, it will refund the difference.

Photo: David Rolph and Anne Maddox from the new Asda store.

Discussion is open - be the first to comment - click here to respond.