Council set to demolish WH Smith building and create new open space

The former WH Smith building in Newport’s Commercial Street is likely to be demolished and replaced by a new city-centre open space.

A new cabinet report shows demolition is the preferred option for the property, which the council bought in March for £455,000.

The local authority considered other uses, including repurposing the property or letting it out to the third sector, but argues the proposal to create a new public space is “in line with” its “regeneration objectives”.

The council’s placemaking plan sets out its short- and long-term plans to make Newport city centre a more prosperous and attractive destination for both locals and visitors.

“It’s very clear that one of the priorities for residents is to tackle the issue of empty properties in the city centre, and this was highlighted in the placemaking plan,” said Cllr James Clarke, the council’s cabinet member for regeneration.

“Many properties in the city centre are privately owned but a rare opportunity came up to buy this building which has been empty for a long time.”

Cllr Clarke said demolishing the property at 166-168 Commercial Street would lead to a reduction in the number of empty city-centre units, but added “this was not the most important consideration”.

“This large, unattractive building has no architectural merit and is a blight on Commercial Street,” he said. “Making it safe and suitable for further retail, hospitality or leisure use would be extremely expensive and, even if that was possible, it is unlikely that appropriate businesses would want to take it on.”

In the cabinet report, the council argues the benefits of demolition include removing the property’s annual business rate liabilities of £23,000 as well as responsibilities for maintenance and security.

Building surveys found “a variety of issues” including asbestos and flooding, and the council would be unable to rent out the building in its current condition.

On the other hand, the council said drawbacks of the demolition option included extra costs for knocking down the building, and the listed status of the former Wildings shop next door.

Retaining the building in the hope another occupier could be found would keep the council’s options open, but would not generate any income despite costing the council more on maintenance, and also posed a risk of further deterioration.

The council also considered refurbishing the property – which could generate future income and increase its value – but judged this option required “significant” spending on a building for which there is “limited market demand”.

Letting the property to the third sector, meanwhile, would provide social benefits but would also mean refurbishing the building and probably involve rent subsidies.

The council found the other options “would not be commercially viable” and said there had been “no interest from potential occupiers for a number of years”.

Other empty city-centre units are “in a much better condition”, and while the report accepts “demolition is not the ‘easy option’ given the location of the property within a terrace of existing properties, one of which is a listed building, it is considered the most beneficial in the longer term”.

Cabinet members will meet next week to make a final decision on the proposals.