‘Retail and food quarter’ plan for row of former craft workshops

Nicholas Thomas, Local Democracy Reporter

A historic Welsh shopping courtyard known for its unusual sculptures and giant lovespoon could be diversified to allow food and drink sales after plans to revitalise its empty workshops were approved.

Highmore Investments has won planning permission for a wider use of the five units comprising Ffwrwm, off High Street, Caerleon.

A planning statement by agents David Glasson Planning said the units are in need of renovations, and allowing food and drink businesses to locate there would “widen their commercial appeal”.

Ffwrwm was previously restricted to selling items made at the workshops, although rules governing the units were later relaxed to allow for more general retail.

The five units face onto a small courtyard boasting a wealth of sculptures and other artworks depicting scenes from nature, folklore and Caerleon’s Roman history.

It is also the home of what is believed to be the world’s biggest lovespoon, measuring 44 feet long.

The agents said the units at Ffwrwm are currently unoccupied and “in urgent need of refurbishment”.

They said the site has “a long history of retail” but there is a “need to evolve” – and the proposed revamp will “create a tasteful and appealing retail and food quarter”.

Planning documents show the completed proposals could also create an estimated ten jobs.

The application drew two neighbour objections during a public consultation period, urging opening hours to be restricted to prevent a “potential issue” with late-night noise.

The objectors also said the “special qualities” of Ffwrwm “should be protected”.

In their assessments, Newport City Council planning officers said it was “likely” the units could be merged to create a larger space, and decided to restrict opening hours to between 8am and midnight from Monday to Saturday, and to between 8am and 11.30pm on Sundays and bank holidays.

They also issued a planning condition preventing the takeaway sale of hot food and drinks from the units, on road safety grounds – arguing the site has no parking and is reached by only a “narrow” one-way road.

The planning application follows a separate bid by Highmore Investments earlier this year for permission to cut down several trees in Ffwrwm’s courtyard, which the council did not object to despite receiving 261 neighbour objections and a petition with 143 signatures against the move.