LONG-AWAITED plans for the demolition of the Newport car-park branded a disgrace by local politicians are up for approval tomorrow.
The plans are part of the planned revamp of Kingsway Shopping Centre. The new owners of the Kingsway Centre, UBS Global Management (UK) Ltd, want to tear down the existing multi-storey car park and replace it, creating 1,058 car spaces and 18 motorcycle spaces.
The Kingsway Centre itself is to be altered and extended with the creation of new shops, offices and a redesigned building with canopies over open spaces including John Frost Square. Plans are going before the council planning committee tomorrow and work is due to start early this year.
UBS will be working alongside the council and Newport Unlimited who are also launching extensive redevelopment plans. The redesigned and extended centre and nine-storey car park will be linked with the council-backed Modus Corovest city centre regeneration scheme.
Shops, including a 105,000sq ft department store, leisure facilities, apartments, public spaces, cafs and restaurants are all in the Modus Corovest scheme.
Work is expected to start on this site towards the end of 2006 with completion expected in autumn 2009, in time for the Ryder Cup in 2010. Local politicians welcome this investment in the city centre.
Councillor Ed Townsend, leader of the Liberal Democrat group in the council said: "The car park is a disgrace and always has been.
"There has been very little investment in things like roads, pavements and car parks since Newport became a unitary authority in 1995 and I think it is very positive work is now starting to change that."
The UBS plans up for approval tomorrow include putting canopies over John Frost Square, Emlyn Walk and Kingsway, building new two-storey retail units onto John Frost Square, installing roof lights over Bridge Square and creating a new entrance to the museum and library.
The Dolman Theatre on Kingsway has already been given a new entrance and permission has also been given to convert a public house within the centre into offices and shops.
The existing car park will be replaced with a nine-storey version, clad in stainless steel mesh.
"This will allow ventilation and views and means the appearance of the car park would change depending on the light and weather conditions."
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