ANY new mural built as part of a £200 million development plan for Newport's shopping centre must have a Chartist theme, say city councillors.

Their demands were made at a planning meeting yesterday after we revealed that the city's Chartist mural is set to be demolished.

It had been hoped the mosaic, created in 1978 in the tunnel between Upper Dock Street and John Frost Square, would be saved and relocated within the regeneration scheme.

But developer Modus Corovest said that will be too difficult and instead plans to make a new mosaic to mark the 1839 uprising under new plans approved by planners.

A condition that councillors see what Chartist-themed mosaic the developer is proposing before building work starts was included yesterday.

Newport mayor Miqdad Al-Nuaimi said: "I'm disappointed that the developer hasn't come back with a definite statement about what it is going to do about the artwork.

"I would like to see some indication about what is proposed before work starts."

Councillor David Hando questioned why the mosaic had to be of a different design.

"I don't know why it can't be reproduced as it is," he said.

Stewart Wild, the council's head of planning and economic regeneration, explained that the plan already included a condition ensuring no development took place until a a programme for the provision of public art was approved.

He said that a replacement design for the mosaic would be chosen by the local community and this could mean an exact replica was made.

Mr Wild said the existing mosaic would be photographed and the pictures kept at the city museum and that sections of it could also be saved.

Modus said it plans to work with the original artist's son to design a contemporary Chartist mosaic that will be located in the proposed new bus station or the Stow Hill area.

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YOUR VIEW ON MURAL
WE asked local residents whether they wanted to see the mural saved, replaced or demolished.

And an overwhelming majority wanted to see it saved.

Anne Nelson, 58, of Rogerstone, said "I don't want them to get rid of it because it's part of Newport's history."

Susan Buck, 60, of Maesglas, added: "It should stay because it is one of Newport's attractions and I like the look of it."

And Saul Wilks, 19, of the Gaer, said destroying it would be a bad idea. "It's a landmark in Newport," he said.

Stephanie Jahn, 20, a student in Caerleon said "It should stay because it's an important part of Newport."

Many readers of our website also called for the mural to be saved.

S Evans wrote: "Too often things are thrown away when they still have life left in them - it would be a real slur on the developers and the council if they allowed this cultural vandalism to occur."

James Jackson added: "If someone else wanted to do that the Council would block it."

Some residents were resigned to the murial being demolished.

Vince Clayden, 45, of the Gaer, said "It's all part of our heritage but if it's got to come down, it's got to come down."

REDEVELOPMENT PLAN

COUNCILLORS approved the landmark £200 million redevelopment plan for the city centre.

The agreed to changes to Modus Corovest's plans for the new retail scheme for Kingsway, Upper Dock Street, John Frost Square and the Bus Station.

The scheme will now have more retail space (412,623 sq ft, up from 403,700 sq ft), and less restaurant space (down from 34,143 sq ft to 16,845 sq ft) and cinema space (down from 37,512sq ft to 32,022 sq ft).

Plans for a 6,000 sq ft health club have been dropped from the scheme, and there will be 240 residential units instead of 200.