Planning News and Deals
City Spires, Newport Newport Modus has secured planning permission for the City Spires development in Newport. The scheme, which includes a landmark tower, will form part of the overall regeneration of Newport city. City Spires will include 85,000 sq ft of retail and leisure accommodation, 89,000 sq ft headquarters office building, 882 space multi-storey car park, 114 bedroom hotel and 239 new one and two bedroom apartments in a 30 storey tower. Construction should commence in late 2007 with the new scheme opening in 2009/2010. Newport The first phase of infrastructure work that will mark the start of Newport’s £48m Rodney Parade waterfront development gets underway soon.		The project, which will transform this area of Newport, combines the regeneration of the prominent waterfront site, the creation of a pedestrian promenade along the riverside and major improvements to the riverside defences of Newport. The work will be undertaken by Taylor Wimpey UK Ltd and follows the approval of a compulsory purchase order by Ieuan Wyn Jones, Minister for the economy and transport, to enable development to proceed. The plans are to create a vibrant and sustainable new riverside community of 486 residential properties, including affordable homes, together with local shops and restaurants. Planning permission for the scheme was conditionally approved by Newport City Council in May 2007. Bargoed Plans for a strategic £25m retail and leisure complex will be a key part of a regeneration strategy for Bargoed town centre. Far-reaching proposals have been drawn up for a six-acre retail and leisure complex to include a 60,000 sq ft food store, a 20,000 sq ft cinema and leisure complex and 46,000 sq ft of shops. Caerphilly County Borough Council and the Welsh Assembly Government are forming a joint venture to secure the development and have instructed agents Cooke & Arkwright to attract a private sector partner to develop the site. A Greater Bargoed Regeneration Project is already well under way and includes a £20m plus new road scheme named Angel Way, which will improve transport links in the upper Rhymney Valley and provide access to the retail/leisure development site. The Council and the Welsh Assembly Government hope to appoint a developer early next year, ahead of the anticipated completion of preparations of the site by the autumn of 2008.