A NEW indoor soft play area is set to open at Newport Market next month as part of plans to expand part of the market into a leisure wing.

Jungle Play Newport has announced that they are bringing an indoor jungle gym on the Market side of Newport Market near Jamieson’s Juice.

Traders such as Rouge Welsh Cakes and others in the area have relocated to the other side of the market to make room for the new addition.

The area will blocked off with a picket fence with the current soft play area near Whocult Donuts moved to the new designated children’s area.

A spokesperson for Loft Co said: “The area where Newport trading cards will become a jungle gym and we are moving the soft play from that area closer to there.

“It will be a designated children’s play area which will be blocked off so you won't be able to walk around it, but you can still walk around the retail part and the food court area.

“There will be one way in and one way out for the children, so it is completely safe and secure, so the businesses that were on that side have moved on to the other side with the retail and other café and food options.”

The new jungle gym will be like the indoor Mambo play centre but smaller, it will be for children up to nine years old under parental supervision.

There will also be a soft play area for the smaller children for birth up to two or four years old.  

They added: “Jungle play is part of our plan to expand part of the market into a leisure wing with a large, designated children’s area.

“We saw a need for it as the market is getting busier and busier, and there are a lot of parents with young children that come here.

“We need to provide, were a marketplace and a central landmark in Newport so it was important for us to service all different people of Newport.

“I know a lot of people are talking very positively about it and it's nice to have that atmosphere.”

Jungle Play is set to open sometime in May, with work to start fitting the soft play equipment next week.