Renovations at Newport Market see addition of children’s play area, marking “true lynchpin for local community”

The man behind the renovations of Newport Market says the recent addition of a children’s play area will make the attraction a “true lynchpin for the local community”.
Newport City Council has granted retrospective planning permission for LoftCo to build a “semi-permanent” soft play area in a northern corner of the market’s ground floor.
Council planning officers did raise concerns that the play area has altered the original layout of the listed building, because it is no longer possible to walk “the extent of the market” along the northern aisle.
But they accepted the reversible nature of the project means the walkway “may be reopened in the future without causing physical damage to the historic plan”.
Following the planners’ decision, Simon Baston, the head of LoftCo, said his firm was “aware of these considerations before the project began, and we’ve taken care to ensure that any necessary modifications can be reversed if needed”.
“However, our goal remains clear, pushing Newport Market into the 21st century to meet the changing demands of modern consumers,” he added.
“Newport deserves a vibrant, central hub that caters to everyone, and as a family-orientated business, a children’s play centre was paramount to making the market a true lynchpin for the local community. 
“While the historic layout of the market is important, we believe creating a space that serves families and future generations is equally essential to the market’s long-term success.”
The play area is the latest addition to the market, which reopened in the spring of 2022 following major renovations.
A food court sits at its heart, along with an events space, arcade area, offices, stalls and bar.
Despite planning permission being granted, the council’s planning officers did urge developers to secure consent before carrying out works on listed buildings.
“There is a risk that some works would not see a positive outcome and may need to be reversed if undertaken without said consent,” they warned. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

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