TRADERS are “cautiously optimistic” about the planned £12 million revamp of Newport market.

Yesterday, the council’s cabinet gave approval in-principle an ambitious plan to bring the the grade two listed market building back to life.

The plan, which includes apartments, working and living spaces, a tech hub and a performance space, has been put forward by Loft Co, the Cardiff-based company behind the Tramshed, Pumphouse and Jennings buildings in Cardiff, Barry and Porthcawl respectively.

Today, market traders reacted positively to the news, which they hope will revitalise trade.

Tim Rees, 50, from Barrack Hill, took over the Negative Zone Comics stall in the market six months ago.

“I think it’s potentially very, very good news for the market. We do need something like that to happen.

“It seems that every city and town of note has a really good market and there’s no reason why Newport shouldn’t have the same, so I’m cautiously optimistic.

Colette Davies has been trading from Chilly’s sweet store in the market for two years. Before she took over, her father ran the same stall for 27 years.

“At the moment any investment at all would be positive,” she said.

“As long as any development doesn’t take our trade then I think it would be a positive thing.”

Hilary Semmens, of Malpas, has run Bits and Bobs Babywear for 12 years after taking it over from her father, who was a fixture in the market for 27 years.

“My first thought when I read about the new plan was that it would probably take five years to make it happen.

“Investment is good news at the end of the day. But it could be too little, too late. They haven’t told any of us here about it anyway, which is pretty typical.”

Danielle Jeremiah’s stall, Danielle’s Fabric and Haberdashery, has been a market staple for 25 years.

“It’s very good news in terms of the investment because it means that somebody is finally interested in the market,” she said.

“I think if they are do what they say they are going to do it could even attract businesses back up to this end of town. Everyone in Newport is on short term lets, so people will move if it’s worthwhile.”

One of the newer stalls to open in the market is Brazillian takeaway Tia Julia. Boss Fabio Martins said the investment was great news for the market.

“If it happens it’s going to be great news.

“My wife used to run the fish mongers, which went about two years ago. So unfortunately it’s come too late for some traders, which is a shame. But it is good news for the people who are trading here now.”

Customers in the market were also cautiously optimistic about the news.

Newport market customer Maureen Oliver said: “It was a beautiful market in the past but it’s just all gone in recent years.

“It’s very good news if they follow through with it.”

Dan and Marlene Prosser, from St Julian’s, have been shopping in the market since the 1960s, and fondly remembered it being packed full of shoppers.

“It’s not like that anymore, but it’s the same all over Newport really,” said Mrs Prosser.

“It would be lovely if they could get it back anywhere near the way it was.”

Patricia Chambers,72, from Castleton, visits the market at least once a week, and said it had been hard to watch it decline over the years.

“I’ve been coming here since I was 15 years old,” added Ms Chambers.

“I think it’s probably too little too late. They should have tried more before and not put the rates up so high.

“I’m not interested in different ‘spaces’, to be honest. It’s the shops I would come here for.”

OTHER PROJECTS

THE company behind the proposed £12 million revamp of Newport market has a strong history of redeveloping listed buildings.

Cardiff-based Loft Co’s Tramshed development, which opened in 2015 in Grangetown, Cardiff, took transformed the Grade II listed buildings and transformed them into a multi-purpose facility housing an art gallery, dance studios, performance space, working and living spaces and a café/bar.

In 2016, the company also completed a careful restoration of the 19th century Pumphouse in Barry to accommodate a cafe, restaurant, 24-hour gym and 15 live/work spaces.

Last year, Loft Co completed a renovation of the Grade II-listed Jennings warehouse in Porthcawl, now a centrepiece of the wider Porthcawl harbour and seafront area. Costing £2.5m, it was built with support from Finance Wales and Townscape Heritage Initiative Funding provided via Bridgend council from the Heritage Lottery Fund and Cadw.

Boss Simon Baston’s company plans to work in partnership with Welsh firm WRW Construction on the project, which is set to be completed in three phases over 18 months.

He said: “Loft Co has a strong basis of delivering community-led schemes in a highly regenerative type areas and will have a full commitment to ensuring complete engagement with all current members and users of the market, and future ones.”