Newport’s stunning new market will soon be home to outdoor seating spaces on High Street and Upper Dock Street as the city moves closer to the council’s vision as a destination city. The proposals were submitted to Newport council last month and have this week been approved.
Covered seating areas on High Street would provide 88 seats around tables with a walkway from High Street to the market and also a walkway between the market building and the seating areas.
The space will be surrounded by a dark grey wall while a line of planters will run parallel to Griffin Street. Pergola structures covering the seating areas will be supported by black steel frames with green roofing.
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The Upper Dock Street seating area will be separated into north and south. The northern section will seat 36 and the southern section 14 around tables. Proposed opening hours for both seating areas are Monday, Tuesday and Sunday from 9am to 5pm and from Wednesday to Saturday from 9am to 8pm.
Newport council officers’ principal aim of the development is to enhance the provision of retail facilities within the city centre shopping area. The report says the plans will further that vision “provided that the scale, design and layout of the proposals are compatible with the overall functioning of the city centre”.
Planning officers brushed aside any concerns of noise disturbance for those living in flats on the streets, saying: “Residential occupiers of these upper floor properties already reasonably expect levels of noise and disturbance.” Go here to sign up for our Newport newsletter to get local news straight to your inbox.
The report concluded: “The proposals, along with the recommended conditions, would ensure that it would not be harmful to residential amenity, highway and pedestrian safety, they would be visually acceptable and they would preserve the setting of the listed building and the conservation area."
The multi-million pound regeneration of Market Arcade and Newport Market has brought a new buzz to the city centre. Locals report higher footfall in the city, particularly on weekends.
