Newport City Council has proposed new car park charges for parking facilities adjacent to Newport Centre and Kingsway Shopping. Emlyn Street Car Park will become a maximum two hour short stay car park with a flat rate charge of £2. The temporary 350 space Granville Street Car Park will have tiered charges with a maximum fee of £3 for a stay beyond two hours. The Capitol Car Park above Newport bus station will close in May 2008 as part of the Friar's Walk development. Parking near the Riverside is severely restricted following the commencement of the University development. The new 1000+ space car park adjoining Kingsway Shopping will be complete in the latter part of the year. The changes are subject to consultation and may not be introduced until June.
DESIGN SCHOOL SETS FASHION TREND
Eye-catching designs for a range of women's wear have won first place in the annual Design Wales Awards for a student from the University of Wales, Newport. Anthony Thomas's collection for high street fashion chain Peacocks scooped him a thousand pounds and a year's work placement in the company's design department. This is the third year that a fashion student from Newport School of Art Media and Design has won the Ffres Awards which are organised by Design Wales for all second and third year students of fashion, textile and graphic design in Wales
RETAIL SIGNINGS CONFIRMED
Modus has confirmed the signings of River Island, Boots, Pizza Express and Nandos to its Friars Walk development. These operators will join Debenhams, Marks and Spencers and New Look to guarantee a fantastic line up for the scheme. Friars Walk will provide Newport with the retail and leisure facilities that the city deserves and complement the major city wide regeneration programme. The £200m development will provide £450,000 sq ft of new retail space, a multiplex cinema, a new restaurant quarter, a city hotel, 250 new style apartments and a new bus station. In addition to the well known retailers the development will also boast a vibrant mix of independent and local retailers especially in the new Upper Dock Street area.
Nigel Poad, leasing director for Modus, said: “Getting the likes of River Island to commit to Friars Walk reaffirms that it will become a prime fashion location in the city of Newport. Similarly getting a vote of confidence from a retailer like Boots is a real boost. These deals demonstrate that despite the doom and gloom in the media, retailers are still willing to commit to quality schemes. Securing Pizza Express and Nandos as the first operators to commit to the restaurant quarter also sets the tone we are seeking to achieve. There currently is no family dining offer in the city and we are determined to address this.” Construction is due to start on site on spring and the anticipated completion date is 2010.
APPEAL OVER PILL STREET ROBBERY
Officers in Newport are appealing for information following a robbery that occurred in Pill today, Wednesday 2nd April 2008. The victim, a 58 year old local man, was turning into Pardoe Thomas Close from the Commercial Road direction, at approximately 11.20am, when he was approached by two white males. One of the males assaulted him, punching him to the face, the second male stole money from the inside pocket of his jacket. Both men then made off but it's not known in which direction.The victim was taken to the Royal Gwent hospital as a precaution.Anyone with any information about the robbery is asked to call Gwent Police on 01633 838 111 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
COCAINE FIND IN CAERLEON
Police have found cocaine with a street value of £150,000 in a house in Caerleon. The cocaine weighed two kilos in total and was in the process of being cut for distribution when Newport police officers made their discovery. Officers decided to search the detached house on Monday night after receiving information. A 22-year-old man was arrested for conspiracy to supply Class A drugs. Detective Inspector Steve Webber, said: "We conducted a search of the house in Caerleon immediately after we received intelligence. A large quantity of cocaine was found in a number of locations within the property. This is a significant find - one of the largest ever seizures in Gwent - and the cocaine was about to be distributed to communities within South Wales.
