Plans for £300 million Cribbs Causeway expansion scrapped by government

The government has discarded plans for a £300 million expansion of Cribbs Causeway. Credit: ITV West Country

Plans for a £300 million expansion of Cribbs Causeway has been scrapped by the Government.

The proposals included a new wing with shops, restaurants, a hotel and additional transport services serving the site.

But, after a lengthy decision process, Secretary of State James Brokenshire, has now refused permission for the region's largest shopping mall to expand by half its size.

The proposed £300 million expansion included new shops, restaurants and a hotel. Credit: ITV West Country

Previous owners of the mall in South Gloucestershire said that the planned expansion would create almost 4,000 new jobs.

South Gloucestershire Council gave the green light to the application almost two years ago, but it was immediately 'called in' by the Government as the scheme was so important to the region.

A public inquiry was held in September 2017, before it was then left with the Government to make the final decision.

The decision to expand Cribbs Causeway have been scrapped by the Government and will now have to go back to the drawing board. Credit: M&G Real Estate

Civic leaders expressed concerned that such a huge development would pose a threat to struggling local shopping areas and drive business out of the city centre.

Nearby towns and cities, including Newport, Bristol, Bath, Swindon and even Taunton said they feared for the future of their centres.

Weston-super-Mare has had £150m worth of investment in recent years but some estimates say the town could have lost close to £40 million or 10% of its trade if Cribbs grew.