The former Kwik Save supermarket, in the Pill area of Newport, could be revamped under new plans.

The large retail unit in Commercial Road is currently vacant, but applicant Shelim Hussain, of S&B Properties Ltd, is seeking planning permission for its refurbishment.

Planning documents, filed with Newport City Council, show Mr Hussain wants to install a new shopfront for the retail unit, and also convert first floor offices to the rear into five flats.

A cafe area has also been proposed for part of the shopfront area.

A planning statement in support of the application, by Mango Planning and Development Ltd, claims the project will bring the empty unit “into beneficial use” and will only require internal construction work.

Residents of the proposed flats would have access to their homes from the former Kwik Save car park, which will be retained but reorganised under the new plans.

The only difference to the inside of the retail unit will be a “small area” at the rear, which will become a “residential access lobby” for the flats.

The planning statement adds that the intended operator of the new shop will be “Eurofoods, trading as a Masala Bazaar store”.

The reopening of the retail unit, combined with the addition of the proposed cafe, will create 15 full-time and six part-time jobs, it is estimated.

According to the planning statement, the existing buildings are currently “in a poor condition” and the car park is “overgrown”.

“This application presents an opportunity for the refurbishment of the property which when complete will represent a significant improvement in the appearance of the centre,” Mango Planning and Development added.

The site was granted planning permission in 2017 for a refurbishment project – this time including eight flats – but that decision has since lapsed.

The new application is currently out for consultation, and can be viewed on the Newport City Council website under reference 24/0862.