Council leader evasive about future plans for city regeneration

Nicholas Thomas, local democracy reporter

A local authority leader has described the city as “pro-business” but remains tight-lipped on the council’s regeneration plans.

Dimitri Batrouni, council leader for Newport, said that plans to revive the city “take time” and wouldn’t be unveiled until later on in the year.

Empty units

Cllr Batrouni was responding to a question from the opposition leader, Cllr Matthew Evans, who asked on Tuesday what the city council was doing to fill empty units in the city centre.

Cllr Evans noted the old Admiral building, and the new office building – which has stood unused since it was built – on the site of the former Royal Mail sorting office in Mill Street.

He said that Cardiff had reportedly recorded its highest levels of office space take-up in recent years, and asked why Newport “can’t fill these units”.

Cllr Batrouni replied: “We’re ahead of you, but we won’t share the details until six months’ on.”

Tourism tax

Cllr Evans also congratulated the council leader for his position on a proposed tourism tax.

The Welsh Government hopes to introduce a levy, likely in 2027, charging visitors to stay overnight in Wales.

Under those plans, councils would be given the option to enforce the levy within their regions – but Cllr Batrouni has distanced Newport from taking up the policy.