Major developments set to transform Newport city centre in 2022

• Newport Market

One of the biggest and most exciting projects is the renovation of Newport’s indoor market, which has been closed to the public since the start of 2021. A £12 million revamp of the market hall will bring new attractions including a street food court, 360 degree cocktail bar, yoga studio and gym, as well as new facilities for stall holders.

The new-look market is scheduled for completion in February, once the new market traders have settled in, but a separate project is also underway to renovate the city’s Market Arcade and this should be completed by mid-January. We’re looking forward to trying out the street food court as our new go-to lunch stop!

• Newport Transporter Bridge facelift

One of the city’s most iconic landmarks is also being given a new lease of life as part of a multi-million pound project funded by the National Lottery and Welsh Government. The plans will see restoration work on the famous bridge as well as the construction of a new visitor centre that will include exhibition space and a café.

• State-of-the-art leisure centre

Planning permission for a brand new leisure centre was granted towards the end of last year and work is due to start soon.

The brand new, long-awaited leisure centre will include a state-of-the-art facility over three floors, including a 25 metre swimming pool. It will be built slightly further down from its current site, on Usk Way, next to the University of South Wales building, paving the way for the current site, which is being used as a Covid vaccination centre, to be demolished and redeveloped into a new £90 million campus for Coleg Gwent.

• Brand new hotel

A new Mercure hotel is also due to open this year in Chartist Tower, which is already home to the South Wales Argus offices. The hotel will boast 130 bedrooms and a restaurant complete with outdoor rooftop terrace area, offering panoramic views of the city.

Originally planned to open in early 2020, the hotel’s development has been delayed partly due to the pandemic but is currently expected to open in the first quarter of this year.

• Information Station

Planning permission was granted last year for a new hub for public services, including information about housing and council tax benefits, business rates, social services, child protection, access to supported employment, business rates and blue badges, to move into the Central Library.

• New railway station footbridge

Another project nearing completion is the new £4 million footbridge for Newport railway station, which will signal the end of the lifespan of the existing underpass, which serves as a pedestrian route from the north to the south of Newport city centre. It was agreed many years ago that a new and improved link was needed between Devon Place and Queensway, and local residents were keen to replace the existing subway which was unsafe and not wheelchair accessible. The new structure was installed over the Christmas break so we expect it to open very soon.

• Residential developments

There are also plenty of residential developments popping up in and around the city centre, from riverside apartments near the George Street Bridge, to the massive Ringland transformation project.

The first phase of this £7.5 million scheme was completed last June and brought 55 new homes to the neighbourhood, providing the community with high quality, much needed new homes as well as numerous jobs and apprenticeships. Developers are also hoping to build a modern shopping centre and other new services such as the Newport East Health Hub, as part of their wider regeneration plans.

We’ve always believed that Newport is a special place to work and live and so will be watching the progress of these, and other exciting developments closely throughout the year. As a major employer and one of the area’s leading specialists in commercial and residential property law, we have a keen interest in seeing new life being breathed into the area and we are excited to see what lies in store for our city in the future.