Queensberry Real Estate has appointed Cooke and Arkwright as the new retail letting agent for Friars Walk, the 390,000 sq ft shopping and leisure development in Newport city centre due to open Autumn 2015.

Cooke and Arkwright is the third letting agent working on the scheme and joins national agents Lunson Mitchenall and Strutt and Parker.

Cooke and Arkwright is the largest independent practice in Wales and provides a full range of multi-disciplinary services.

Based in Cardiff and with strong links to Newport, the firm is already extremely active in Newport City Centre and the wider catchment area.

Stuart Harris, commercial director and co-founder of Queensberry Real Estate, said: "Cooke and Arkwright has an excellent reputation. The firm knows Newport really well and has a strong presence in the area.

"Being based in South Wales, it has local knowledge and this will be a big advantage to us, it is in daily contact with a number of key retailers which we are aiming to attract into the Friars Walk scheme and can be at our marketing suite presenting Friars Walk in a matter of minutes.

"It is really important for us to use local companies where possible and bringing Cooke and Arkwright into the scheme adds another dimension to potential retailers.”

Huw Thomas, director at Cooke and Arkwright, said: ‘We’re delighted to join Queensberry Real Estate and the letting team in dealing with the marketing of Friars Walk.

"Given that the construction work is currently on track for opening in approximately 12 months time, it’s a very exciting time for the development with numerous discussions taking place with a variety of interested retailers.

"Friars Walk will contribute significantly to the ongoing regeneration and revitilisation of Newport City Centre and will create a shopping and leisure environment which the local Newport and surrounding population will be proud of."

Construction of Friars Walk is well underway with the infrastructure for Debenhams almost complete and the steel work for Cineworld commencing last month. The scheme is currently 60 per cent let and due to open autumn 2015. Already signed up to take space in the new development are Next, New Look, Cosmo, Nandos and Prezzo, among others.

Queensberry Real Estate was chosen by Newport City Council to rejuvenate the city centre with a modern shopping centre that integrates in to Newport’s existing retail fabric. Friars Walk will bring more than 390,000 sq ft of modern, well-configured retail and leisure space. It will include 35 retail units, 11 restaurants, 350 parking spaces and a major new bus station and interchange.

On completion the scheme will provide an estimated 1,200 jobs worth around £15m in salaries a year to the local economy. This is in addition to the jobs created during the construction phase and the potential for local companies to be involved in the supply chain of the centre.