Newport council set to approve Porsche showroom plans

If the proposals are approved this week, a Porsche Centre could be built on the outskirts of the city at the Celtic Springs Business Park, off the A48 near Duffryn.

The centre would be built on a 3.2-hectare patch of land and comprise a two-storey showroom and a service centre. There would also be staff, visitor and storage parking for around 308 vehicles in total.

The showroom would be "roughly rectangular, with a curved glazed and cladding corner feature" and its design "follows the corporate identity of the Porsche brand".

When it opens, the centre could create "around 100 new jobs".

Planning documents show the area is considered to be "Grade A strategic office employment land".

An artist's impression of the proposed Porsche centre and showroom in Newport. Picture: Dick Lovett and Asbri Planning

The applicant, Dick Lovett, told the council the proposals would "provide a modern, high quality purpose-built facility, which would represent a positive occupation of the site, and would be important to the image of the business park".

The council's landscape officer raised concerns the planned showroom would "dominate views for all estate users including visibility from users of the nearby pub and hotel", and also that the perimeter fencing was questionable.

"It is still not clear why staff parking requires the level of security provided by 2.4m-high palisade fence with three strands of razor wire," the officer said.

The Gwent Glamorgan Archaeological Trust noted the proposed showroom would be located approximately 360m from the Gwern y Cleppa Burial Chamber, a scheduled monument, but said it was "unlikely nationally important remains are located in the [Porsche] site".

Weighing up the evidence, council planners noted that "while there would e a loss of some B1 (typically office-use) land, the proposal does not represent a loss of employment opportunities".

"With the creation of 100 jobs, the proposal is considered to have a positive economic impact," their report read. "It is considered that the proposal would deliver high quality development, which would contribute to economic prosperity and would maintain the prestige of this important and strategic business and economic hub."

Newport City Council's planning committee has been recommended to grant the application, subject to conditions. The committee will meet on Wednesday.