Plans to build dining rooms, a yoga studio and a games arcade underneath Newport market are set to be approved this week. The proposals submitted by Loft co in May aim to transform the historic market cellars into a multi-use space which will include private dining rooms, wine and sherry tasting, toddlers' entertainment and bookable rooms for yoga and palates.
It follows the reopening of the Grade II-listed Newport Market in February this year after a major revamp which cost between £5m and £6m and saw the market close for over a year in order for the work to be carried out. Said to be the largest market development in Europe, the new market includes a food court and bar on the ground floor, 70 workspaces, refurbished market stalls, a gym and a rooftop garden. You can see pictures of how Newport Market has changed over the years here.
Read more: Newport's changing identity: The city that always seems to take one step forward and two steps back
The plans for the untouched vaults have been the subject of lore and legend over the years including claims they were used for keeping everything from livestock to criminals. You can read more about the history of the vaults here. Their redevelopment forms the second part of the market development with work likely to begin shortly after the proposals are approved.
According to the plans, Loft Co wants to bring the vaults back into use as part of the market offering which would make them publicly accessible and visible for the first time. Rumoured uses include a bar, a tattoo parlour and a gaming arcade, and the plans would see the vaults' ironwork refurbished and redecorated and its brickwork reinstated, preserving the history of the vaults.
Newport City Council has recommended the plans to be approved at the next planning committee meeting on Wednesday, July 6, saying they allow an opportunity for the public to use the rarely seen vaults which can be used for various uses and enhance the offering at the new market.
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