ENTRANCES to a redeveloped Newport shopping centre could create hiding-places set back from the street and encourage drug dealing, a worried councillor says.

Plans for the new-look Kingsway Shopping Centre and nine-storey car park were approved with conditions at yesterday's planning committee meeting.

But councillors are worried that the recessed entrances will create dark corners acting as a honey-pot for drug dealers and encouraging anti-social behaviour.

At a meeting of Newport's planning committee, Laura Buchanan-Smith said: "Any recess in this area will attract drug dealing - they have antennae for them.

"It's like a rat that will smell a hole and head for it - that's the sort of people we have in Newport."

Councillor David Hando added: "It's just going to be a public toilet at night, isn't it?

"This is a wonderful chance to get the city centre looking good and I'm just not impressed with the level of architecture."

UBS global management, who own the Kingsway Centre, want to redesign and extend it in a project linked up to the council-backed Modus Corovest city centre regeneration scheme.

The plans include new shops, offices and a redesigned building with canopies extending from the entrances on John Frost Square, Commercial Street and Kingsway.

The new entrances would be set back from the street by about three metres.

Gwent Police also raised their concern to the planning department that any recessed areas will attract people to congregate and could lead to anti-social behaviour.

But Stewart Wild, head of planning and economic regeneration at the council, said: "It is hoped that the redevelopment will encourage more use of these areas, there will be natural surveillance and it will not be an issue."

A condition was made that the exact materials being used had to be specified.

UBS Global Management (UK) Ltd also got permission to tear down the existing multi-storey car park and replace it, creating 1,058 car spaces and 18 motorcycle spaces.

Work is due to start early this year alongside a programme of work on the roads around the Kingsway Centre. Officers estimate this work will be finished in spring 2007.

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 will be textured to change depending on the light and weather conditions.