PLANS for the regeneration of Newport city centre took a step forward this week as councillors agreed a restricted tendering process to find a new development partner.

Cabinet members discussed the current status of the city centre redevelopment at Tuesday’s meeting and agreed to set in motion a restricted tendering process to find a new partner, which will be quicker and cost effective, but still give the council some control over the final development.

A restricted tendering process means companies are pre-selected and invited to offer tenders, rather that the tendering process being thrown open to all to tender.

Councillors were given an update on Iceland’s application for a judicial review into the council’s compulsory purchase of its city centre stores.

As reported in the Argus in November, Newport Council agreed to proceed with the Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) of Iceland's shops in Commercial Street and Upper Dock Street, for the redevelopment of John Frost Square.

Iceland served its claim for a judicial review because it said the conditions of the CPO, granted in 2006, were no longer viable since the Friars Walk scheme proposed for the site was ditched last June.

The meeting this week was told no decision has yet been made as to whether a judicial review will take place and a report presented to cabinet members stated that the council would be “strenuously defending the claim on the basis that it is out of time and the grounds of challenge are unarguable and disclose no error of law.”

Council leader, Cllr Matthew Evans, said he was “mystified” as to where Iceland’s challenge came from, but the council would continue to work with Iceland to resolve the issue.

He said: “It’s important to state that they will be an important part of future city centre proposals.”

It is believed that the restricted tendering process will be more likely to encourage potential development partners and the council hopes to have a new partner by Christmas.