Two more shops in shopping centre to close

Two shops in a shopping centre have announced they are to close ahead of the proposed £200m development of the site in south Bristol.

B&M Bargains and M. W. Fresh Foods will vacate their units in Broadwalk Shopping Centre in Knowle in early April, when their leases come to an end.

The discount retailer and butcher/greengrocer follow the closure of a string of other shops in the centre in recent years, including Shoe Zone and Wilko.

The centre and its car park could be knocked down and replaced with 800 new flats and a shopping street if controversial plans are approved by a planning committee in March.

B&M Bargains and M. W. Fresh Foods are the latest shops to announce they are leaving Broadwalk Shopping Centre in Knowle – photo: Charlie Watts

Will Appleby, who has run M. W. Fresh Foods for 23 years, says it is “with great sadness” that he has to close his shop.

“Unfortunately, retail has become more and more challenging in the centre,” he said in a statement.

“With the rising costs of produce and utilities along with declining footfall, profit margins are being squeezed to the point that during the summer holidays we were working only to cover the costs.”

He added: “As a local businessman I understand how difficult it has become for the other retailers and landlord to reverse the decline of the centre.

“That is why we need to bring back life to shopping in Knowle and the redevelopment plans are exactly what is needed for Knowle.”

Will Appleby has run butcher and greengrocer M. W. Fresh Foods for the last 23 years – photo: Charlie Watts

The shopping centre’s owners, Redcatch Development Partnership, have submitted plans to demolish the 1970s structure and build a new mixed-used development, Redcatch Quarter, in its place.

The development will include up to 800 new homes, housed in multi-storey apartment blocks as high as 12 storeys.

There will also be a new library, cafe and restaurant, plus a local supermarket, dentist and pharmacy, all along a pedestrianised high street connecting Wells Road and Redcatch Park.

While a new cinema in the development could become the only one in south Bristol.

But the Knowle Neighbourhood Planning Group has launched a petition against the development called Knowle Deserves Better – Stop the Broadwalk Towerblocks.

With more than 1,000 signatures, it says the developer’s plans will see too much housing and not enough shops or community facilities.

The shopping centre could be replaced with 800 new homes and a high street if plans are approved in March – photo: Redcatch Development Partnership

A gym at the shopping centre closed in May 2022, while an American-style diner announced plans to close in January 2023.

Knowle councillor Gary Hopkins says the shop closures are “unfortunate but inevitable”, and that the “domino effect” will continue unless the development goes ahead.

He told Bristol24/7: “There’s a lot of people who are very well-meaning but they’ve been persuaded that if people say no to redevelopment, there will be another option, but there won’t be.

“It’s not a massively profitable scheme because the centre is so expensive to redevelop. The objectors are saying ‘we want redevelopment, but we just want it different.’ But there’s no other plan.

“What will happen is that the centre will continue to decline, there won’t be any money to spend on keeping it in good shape, it will go downhill very badly and be bad for the area.”

The plans for Redcatch Quarter are due to be decided on March 15, with the developer saying construction would take a minimum of three years.

Main photo: Charlie Watts

Read next:

• ‘Neglected’ high street to undergo major redesign 
• Shopping centre set to be demolished under redevelopment plans
• Knowle snooker club under threat from shopping centre redevelopment 

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