NEWPORT council is urging the government to think again about proposals to close the passport office after a report identified the city as a “vulnerable”.

A report published by the research group Centre for Cities yesterday said the city would be hit hardest by government spending cuts due to the low skill level of workers, low business activity, more people employed in the public sector and more people claiming unemployment benefits.

A spokesman for the authority urged the UK government and the Welsh Assembly to support government agency jobs such as the Passport Office - echoed by Newport East assembly member John Griffiths who said the report strengthened the case against the proposed closure.

He said: “This report shows that unless the UK Government can give extra help, Newport will suffer heavily over the next few years. “Cutting hundreds of jobs in the city centre would be absolutely the wrong thing to do. The UK Government must listen to the people and change it's mind.”

Newport council said that while the report offered a snapshot of the economic conditions in the region, it did not take into account what it was doing to attract new jobs.

It said the city was at the start of its regeneration, with plans to appoint a developer for a multimillion pound shopping and leisure complex to revitalise the city centre, well under way.

The council’s business services team has specific grants available to attract companies and business start ups and a number of initiatives are either in place or are being looked at to help boost the number of visitors to Newport city centre.

This includes two hours of free parking in council-owned multi storey car parks and a year-round events programme to attract visitors.

Occupancy levels in the city centre have also increased since last year and Newport’s independent retailers were rated the best in the UK in a secret shopper survey late last year.

The Welsh Assembly has also tried to increase skills and employment in Newport granting £430,000 funding for an employment and skills preparation programme that operates in Communities First areas in the city.