A DEVELOPER who is currently working on two of the main redevelopment projects in Newport City Centre said there is a sea change coming to the city – but one which will not happen overnight.

Richard Hayward, of Castleton-based Richard Hayward Properties, said: “My worry is how successful Newport can be with Cwmbran just up the road with its free parking, and Bristol and Cardiff close by as well. Newport lost the moment really.”

Mr Hayward’s firm is currently redeveloping the former Yates’ Wine Bar on the corner of Cambrian Road into a 60-bedroom Premier Inn with a retail offering on the ground floor, where Delilah’s used to be.

And work is due to start shortly on the redevelopment of Olympia House in the city centre into residential units and what Mr Hayward describes as ‘the most significant retail letting in the last 50 years in Newport’ in square footage terms on two of the floors which is yet to be announced, and also retail units on the ground floor.

Mr Hayward said: “I think there is a real sea change coming in Newport. The city’s indoor market is relatively strong, High Street is getting stronger. We have some plans for our properties in Cambrian Road including converting the former Reflex nightclub into a family restaurant and coffee shop, and of course the new shopping centre is set to open in October and traffic will flow there from along Cambrian Road, High Street and other areas.

“But I think it will take them many years to fill up the new shopping centre. It will be a success eventually,” he said.

“Retail will come back to the centre of Newport but we need to get local people with local businesses. We need to see a butchers, a deli, coffee shops, more restaurants of a general family nature – local people opening interesting places. Interesting things like boutiques and jewellers which Newport doesn’t have but there are people out there willing to have a go if they get the support from the council.

“It will take a long time to get there,” he said.

“We are trying to focus on tenants going into our buildings on a long-term basis and providing them with back. They create the business and they pay us an additional sum but we are backing them to help them succeed. That’s what Newport needs.

“There is a future for Newport. It is going to happen. There is a market movement – it can’t go any further back, it can only go forward,” said Mr Hayward.

“The danger area is everyone moving out of Commercial Street into the new retail development. I think that won’t happen. Some will stay in Commercial Street. But we will see. It’s a matter of managing the situation there.”

Mr Hayward, whose firm is also involved in projects in Pontypool, Blackwood, Swansea, Cardiff and Port Talbot among others, said: “We had a terrible recession like everyone. We just bounced our way through.”

But he said his firm was currently investing about £12m in Newport alone.

And when he’s not involved in property, Mr Hayward has been involved with Bowler, which makes off-road racing cars. He participates in races including the Dakar Rally and the British Series.