The City of Newport’s Vibrant and Viable Places programme is having the desired effect on the centre of the city.

The regeneration scheme is being used to transform, key properties in the city centre converting some to residential and others as 'oven ready space' for business start ups.

The £15m scheme is a catalyst to unlock a further £45m of external funding for city centre projects resulting what experts believe will be a total of some £60m pumped into Newport heart.

Schemes included in the project included a property enhancement grant scheme for the Mariners’ Green and lower Commercial Street area to improve the physical environment of this key gateway to the city and make the area more attractive.

In addition, as many of the properties are mixed-use and in poor repair, a housing loan scheme has been included to help owners modernise existing living accommodation, create new residential accommodation from disused space and improve the vibrancy of the area.

The vibrant and viable places project and the housing loan scheme is building on improvements already made in the area and is helping owners to invest in the long-term future of their properties.

Commercial Street is benefiting enormously from the innovative VVP scheme. We currently have two properties under offer and interest in others, which augurs well for the future.

Debenhams has started its shop fit out in the Friars Walk scheme and the development as a whole is filling up ahead of its grand opening in November.

The 'existing' city centre is benefiting from the knock on effect of these investments with properties adjacent to the scheme being snapped up but occupiers such as Burger King at the corner of Austin Friars and Commercial Street.

We have noticed a definite spike in the number of enquiries to us at Estates Office from those looking for a variety of office space and also retail all on the back of the feel good factor linked to Friars Walk and also the general atmosphere of confidence that appears to be infusing the local economy.

This month marks the start of construction work on a new access road and the first speculative commercial unit, a 50,000 sq ft speculative commercial unit, within the 100-acre Celtic Business Park at St Modwen’s £1bn Glan Llyn development in Newport.

Glan Llyn is being developed by St Modwen using a phased approach delivering 4,000 new homes and 6,000 new jobs over the next 20 years. The 600 acre former Llanwern Steelworks site will provide a range of facilities including a new local centre offering leisure and retail space supported by new education facilities all surrounded by 80 acres of extensive open parkland.

Up the ‘Port