Newport City Council has granted planning permission for Bailey Developments to start work on a £5m office building in the city centre.

The building will be constructed on a 4.6 acre site set aside as a major new business district for the city. It is the second new office development to take place in the centre of Newport for more than 30 years.

The construction of the 30,000 sq ft, three-storey building on George Street, located on the southern side of the city, follows a detailed tender process promoted jointly by Newport Unlimited and Newport City Council, with advice from property agents DTZ Debenham Tie Leung. Wigley Fox are the appointed project architects.

David Ward, director of planning and strategy at Newport Unlimited, said: "This is an important development for Newport - not least because of the part it plays in our wider regeneration plans for the city. "The M4 junctions around the city have seen a number of new office projects in recent years, but the George Street scheme will be the first offering in the heart of Newport for a number of years, and this is a significant step forward for us. Until now, businesses have had little choice when it comes to modern commercial property in the city centre."