NEWS that the first office occupant of the former King’s Hotel has moved into the revamped building, Kings Court is to be welcomed.
The occupants, environmental consultancy business JBA which took 4,000 sq ft, were so impressed with the work that had been done to renovate the former hotel building that it shifted its business and 20 staff into the city centre site. 
There is also a further 2,000 sq ft on offer to another prospective occupier of this eye-catching, superbly located and appointed property.
It takes imagination, motivation, encouragement from the right quarters and also a fair bit of money, to bring this kind of development to fruition.
The King’s Hotel, once a beacon of hospitality in Newport, is once more a force to be reckoned with in the city.
It’s however a little disconcerting to note that the entrepreneur TV’s Secret Millionaire Jahan Abedi, who delivered this scheme and also the renovation of the former Shire Hall project at Pentonville, Newport, into luxury apartments, may be pulling the plug on any future involvement in the city after the completion of his latest venture.
The work that he has delivered for the city is stunning. To think that future redevelopment schemes for the city that he has ready to roll may be halted due to what he calls "red tape" and "a lack of support" from the city council must be a matter of concern.
What’s also a matter of great concern is the revelation over recent days that the motor sport Circuit of Wales scheme for Ebbw Vale, may have hit the buffers-at least for the time being. The scheme is a vital catalyst that the area, one of the most deprived in the UK, needs to get itself back on its feet once more after the complete shut down and site razing of its major employer, the steel works. 
The South East valleys are now holding their breath awaiting a possible new deal with regard to the Circuit of Wales after WAG the Assembly decided they couldn’t underwrite the full cost of the scheme.
The area is in need of a further economic boost to reinforce recent investment in the Heads of the Valleys area, with the on going duelling of the Heads of the Valleys road and recent investment in the old tin plate works site with the development of new houses, leisure centre, hospital and commercial units.
The Circuit of Wales development would have a massive positive impact on the area bringing jobs and the multiplier effect would have an impact throughout all sectors locally and nationally.
With the uncertainty regarding Tata’s Port Talbot works, Wales need some good news and the motor industry would help maintain skilled engineering and associated jobs which are the lifeblood needed to create wealth and economic prosperity to any region.
It is a glimmer of hope and welcome to note that the stalling of that scheme doesn’t appear to have put luxury sports car maker TVR off track in its ambition to set up a centre of manufacturing excellence in the area close to where the race track is supposed to be going or for that matter Aston Martin and its plans for a site near Cardiff.
Another signing for Friars Walk, Five Guys, is also good news in terms of interest remaining high for prime spots in the city centre. But there remains the obvious lack of activity in other parts of the city centre which appear like ugly gaps in the city’s otherwise newly whitened set of teeth.
The leisure element of the city, boosted by the Friars Walk development attracting an impressive tenant list of national occupiers, continues to snowball. Amber Inns is looking to start the redevelopment of their recently acquired unit on Cambrian Road
Meanwhile there are occupiers looking at various properties in the city centre but while the rents appear affordable and footfall and potential clientele healthy for a variety of ventures the historically high rates are more often that not a major stumbling block to any future progress.
Newport Retail Park appears to be thriving alongside the new Friars Walk scheme. So much so that a new restaurant, Tiffin, to be located in the former Blockbuster Video store is soon to open and a big chunk of what was the Megabowl, as we read today in Business Argus has been taken up by go ahead gyms business Yorkshire-based Xercise4less.
Finally I’m sure we would all want to congratulate the Newport Gwent Dragons on their superb win against a strong Gloucester side at Kingsholm at the weekend and wish them all the best in their fixture against Montpellier and their remaining Pro 12 games.