Three national retailers will move into a Worle shopping area later this year.

The Mercury can exclusively reveal that Home Bargains, Iceland and Aldi will be moving into the Queensway District Centre.

Royal London Asset Management, freehold owner of part of the site, has commenced construction on a £4million investment project which will see the transformation of the former Homebase unit, which closed before Christmas.

Planning consent was secured in August to substantially refurbish and subdivide the former Homebase unit with new lettings agreed to Home Bargains, Iceland and Aldi, with Argos remaining in its existing unit.

MORE: Homebase store due to close.

This initiative also includes highways works which improve accessibility.

The construction project, subject to no further delays being caused by the coronavirus pandemic, will be completed by the end of May and handed over to the retailers to fit-out in readiness to trade.

Yasin Sadiq, senior asset manager at Royal London Asset Management, said: “We are delighted to have commenced construction on this exciting project and to have secured three additional new tenants which will not only improve the tenant mix and local consumer choice, but also create significant economic benefits through the creation of jobs, which will be welcomed by local residents under these uncertain times as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.”

Royal London applied for permission to split the 5,060 m2 Homebase unit into separate retail spaces in 2019.

External alterations, alterations to the layout of the car park and service yard, an installation of a mezzanine floor, a new service road alongside the closure of existing service road entrance and associated works will also take place.

The Mercury reported in January 2020 that Aldi was looking to build a second store in the area.

The chain has one store at the Flowerdown Retail Park, in Aisecome Way.

Aldi confirmed to the Mercury it will be taking a unit. It hopes to open in the autumn and recruitment ‘will start soon’.

In August 2018, Homebase announced it would be closing 42 of its stores nationwide after creditors voted in favour of a company voluntary arrangement.

Signs were displayed outside the Worle store informing customers of its closure, with discounted sales on offer.

But the store stayed open for another year after renewing its lease.