PLANS to provide high quality offices in place of a former Royal Mail sorting office in Newport could be approved this week.

Garrison Barclay Estates have promised more than 50,000 sq. ft of ‘grade A’ office space at the site in Mill Street.

The building’s ground, fifth and sixth floors will be partially demolished to allow for a three-storey open-plan complex to be created.

South Wales Argus:

Designs for the new offices planned in place of the former Royal Mail sorting office in Newport: Picture: Rio Architects.

A total of 84 four car parking spaces, four motorcycle spaces and 44 cycle stands have been planned into the scheme, along with a new access road off Mill Street.

The site, which was most recently occupied by IAC, was the subject of a failed bid by Garrison Barclay to build an 80-bed hotel and offices.

South Wales Argus:

The former Royal Mail sorting office in Mill Street, Newport.

Such plans were shelved in April after the hotel chain pulled out of the deal – despite Newport City Council agreeing to provide a £12 million loan for the scheme.

The council’s planning committee will now meet on Thursday to consider the latest scheme tabled by Garrison Barclay, having approved the Cardiff-based developers’ plans to transform Newport’s tallest building – Chartist Tower – into a 163-bed Mercure hotel in June.

But Conservative councillor David Fouweather has raised concerns that the parking spaces planned for the sorting office development will do little to alleviate existing parking issues.

“The parking provision for this application is not adequate and will create a great deal of extra on street parking in the area,” said Cllr Fouweather.

“Recent figures obtained from the Council show that 628 employees at the Civic Centre travel to work by car.

“There are 393 parking spaces available in the car park but 192 of these are shared by the public at Godfrey Road.

“This means that approximately 427 vehicles are already using on street parking in the ward. This application could result in a further 400 motorists accessing on street parking in the Allt-yr-yn ward.”

Planning officers have described the development as “acceptable” and have recommended that planning permission is granted with conditions.

A report says: “It is considered that the provision of a modernised office building would address the need for higher grade office accommodation across the authority and it is considered to contribute positively towards revitalising the city and bringing a clear economic benefit to the area.”