Kingswood Kings Chase shopping centre set for £5.5m revamp

Kingswood’s Kings Chase shopping centre is set for a £5.5million revamp, council bosses have announced.

South Gloucestershire Council, which bought the Kings Chase retail complex in Kingswood for £10million in 2021 to kickstart a major regeneration of the town centre, will spend more than half of that again on big changes to the mall, including removing the ugly glass roof.

The upgrades are part of a £25million masterplan which includes a new leisure centre, cinema and pedestrianising part of Regent Street.

It comes after Bristol World visited Kingswood high street to report on how local businesses in the area were coping during the cost of living crisis.

There have been a number of shop closures in Kingswood over the past few months, including much-loved drapers Shaws, which shut after several decades. Last month, council leader Toby Savage said the shopping centre was full and the town was thriving.

A report to cabinet, which approved the investment, said: “The planned works include essential roof repairs coupled with insulation improvements to improve the green credentials of the centre.

“In the short term, planned works include redecoration, removal and replacement of the planters and street furniture, improved signage and purchasing and erecting new kiosks.

“Slightly longer term, officers are seeking to remove the internal current glass canopy roof.

“This will have significant impact including waterproofing the centre, reducing crime, improved aesthetics, lighter and more circulation space which could lend to space for market stalls and better use of the space for events and other community activities.”

Mr Savage told the meeting: “Over the next two years, £5.5million is allocated to specific schemes to enhance the centre and continue to deliver a 100 per cent occupied centre, which is what we now have.

“That is testament to the proactive work we have put in as a council to work with business and the community to ensure that we have the businesses and organisations within the shopping centre that people want to see.

“It gave me great pleasure to welcome the opening of the skills hub just a couple of weeks ago.

“That gives people an extra reason to need to visit their town centre and their high street – to learn, to train – and that needs to be a use that we see introduced more in our high streets and all of our town centres as we continue to maximise the reasons why people would want and need to visit their local centre.”

In May 2021, the council confirmed it had bought the mall and said a redevelopment could see new homes and leisure venues alongside existing shops.

The vision persuaded the Government to award the authority £12.5million from its Future High Streets Fund along with £7.5million from the West of England Combined Authority.

Last year the council scrapped charges at the car park, which it also purchased as part of the deal.