The new Admiral building in the centre of Newport was 'topped out' at a ceremony yesterday to celebrate the completion of the construction phase of the project.

Representatives from Admiral, the construction firm Scarborough, which is undertaking the work, and Newport City Council, will be among the guests at the ceremony, which is taking place on the roof of the building in Queensway, opposite Newport's railway station.

The Admiral building, which will house staff currently based at Langstone, is just one part of the development at the former Cambrian Road site. The rest of the site will include offices and retail units.

A spokesman for developers Scarborough said there had been plenty of interest in the retail units although they have not been taken as yet.

He said the work was running alongside the construction of the Admiral building and was expected to be completed by August.

The Admiral building is currently being clad with a unitised cladding system, which includes the windows, and is expected to be water-tight by December meaning that the fitting out work can gather pace ready for the 500-plus staff to move in next spring. It is expected that building will be open for business by May.

A spokesman for Admiral said the insurance firm chose the city centre site, opposite the railway station, to make it easier for staff to get to and from work.

The Scarborough spokesman said it was hoped a planning application for the second phase of the development would be lodged with the city council within the next few months.