Home Bargains seeks to open new store in Newport’s Harlech Retail Park, potentially creating 100 jobs

Home Bargains could increase its presence in Newport by opening a new store in the city’s Harlech Retail Park, creating up to 100 jobs.
The discount retailer has applied for planning permission to sell a wider range of goods at the unit previously occupied by Homebase.
If approved, it paves the way for the firm to open a third store in the city – it currently has sites in Newport West Retail Park, off Docks Way; and to the east in Newport Leisure Park.
A retail statement, by agents CarneySweeney Ltd, states both those stores are “popular and trading well” and “will continue to operate” if the third site is approved.
The agents argue the new venture would “improve the retail choice and competition currently represented in the local area”, by redeveloping a unit “on an established retail park” which has “good public transport services and having excellent road links”.
Harlech Retail Park, off Cardiff Road, also contains a Tesco Extra, Currys and Hobbycraft – and there is a Tesco petrol station and McDonald’s on the wider site.
Currently, anyone operating out of the former Homebase unit would only have permission to sell DIY materials, car and household goods, and furniture.
The application from Home Bargains is to relax those rules and allow the retailer to also sell food and drink products in up to 30% of the shop’s floorspace.
The agents said the new store, if it opens, “would generate up to 100 full- and part-time job opportunities”, with “most… available to local people”.
They argue redeveloping the empty unit “would also help support existing businesses in the vicinity, facilitate further investment, development and potentially associated job opportunities in the area”.
According to the agents’ statement, several other sites in the city centre were considered for a potential Home Bargains store, but were found to be either too small for the retailer’s plans, or unsuitable for customers using trolleys or buying bulky goods.
The former Homebase unit, on the other hand, fits the firm’s criteria for a new store – namely, its size, prominence, car park and delivery area.
If the plans are approved, the agents suggested the redevelopment could begin “imminently”.
The application is currently under consultation, and can be viewed on the Newport City Council website under reference 26/0125. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

By BBC LDRS ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​