‘Newport’s Queensway is full of multimillion-pound flops’

First up, Admiral House. After building works were completed in May 2014, it was sold for £20 million. Nine years later, Admiral Insurance shockingly left the building, with its employees working remotely from home. In 2023, it was reported, the building was up for sale at £14.9 million (around £5 million less than its owner paid for it). It was sold a year later to Admiral Insurance, however the building presently sits empty – ‘available to rent’.

Behind the railway station, we have the former Royal Mail ‘Sorting Office’ on Mill Street. In 2018, plans were approved for Garrison Barclay Estates to redevelop the building into approximately 50,000 square foot of ‘Grade A’ office space. A £12 million council loan was provided to assist, however the building presently sits empty – ‘available to rent’.

Up next is the Cambrian Centre. Scarborough Group International were behind ambitious plans to redevelop the so-called Station Quarter area. The project included another huge office block, next to Admiral House. In 2013, a contract worth around £14 million was awarded to SDC Construction to complete the building work. Planning permission was granted in 2016, however construction has yet to start?

Then there’s the old Railway Station. It was built in 1928 by Great Western Railway (GWR). This was converted into an office block after the new station opened in 2010. It’s since housed the council’s Information Station and later an ‘Innovation Station’. The latter was part of a £1.89 million project partly funded by Newport Council. Is this building now empty also?

What of the controversial new Railway Station? In the past it has been described as one of Britain’s ugliest buildings. In 2013, the BBC claimed the revamp cost £22 million, including £13 million from the Welsh Government. Many have questioned the need for the new station. Could the former Railway Station building have been internally remodelled at a fraction of the cost?

Finally, what of the new walkway bridge that connects Mill Street to the Queensway i.e. the Devon Place bridge. It opened last year at a whopping cost of £10.5million. A bridge was needed, but £10.5 million?

There’s been an obscene amount of money spent on development projects around the Queensway area. What have we got? Empty office blocks?

We now understand Transport for Wales wants to blow another £40 million (estimated) on redeveloping the Queensway, including the Old Green roundabout. It feels like throwing good money after bad. How about investing money on our City Centre where it’s really needed i.e. revamping Commercial Street, High Street and Charles Street.

Mike Enea is a Conservative campaigner and blogger. These views are his.