NEWPORT has been riding on the crest of a wave over the past 12-18 months.

There is now evidence for all to see that the plans that have been in the pipeline for such a length of time are eventually coming to life and being delivered.

Traditionally the city has been in the shadow of places as Cardiff to the west and Bristol to the east but at long last Newport appears to be coming into it's own and creating quite a stir.

Growth in Newport has had a positive affect on values and the market in general. The fact that all that is happening in Newport is based on investment that has been committed so gives confidence.

What is planned will be delivered. Although there may be changes and shifts in the market generally the plans that have been agreed for Newport will become a reality.

A healthy demand remains in the market place for a range of sectors including residential.

National house builders remain keen to acquire land. There continues to be a shortage of offices and there also continues to be a substantial level of inquiries on the larger scale both for city centre locations and also out-of-town for both regional and national concerns.

One of the key reasons that the city of Newport is attracting these levels of inquiries is because space here is considerably more cost effective than the likes of our competitors in Cardiff or Bristol. The top rate being in the region of £20 per square foot in Cardiff while the equivalent in Newport is nearer the £15 per square foot mark. The differential of some 25 per cent makes a great deal of difference.

I would like to think that there is an opportunity to reduce this gap but I would never want it to be reduced down to zero as this would take away our competitive edge. Cardiff has an awfully lot more to offer as a capital city than Newport generally but it is within very easy reach of Newport so what we say to people is why not have the best of both worlds, operate from here with the lower costs and take advantage of what our wonderful capital city has to offer just down the road.

As long as we retain that edge with rentals and capital values then this will continue to assist in generating enquiries and delivering the new business to the city of Newport instead of to other competing regions.

Robert Carew-Chaston, Managing Director,
Hutchings and Thomas Chartered Surveyors.