Latest news with #Fouweather
South Wales Argus
7 hours ago
- Business
- South Wales Argus
Newport outbuilding can be used as wellness centre
The outbuilding of the property on Allt-Yr-Yn Road, Newport, will be transformed into a Reiki healing and yoga centre. The decision was made under application 25/0242, a Lawful Development Certificate for proposed use. The applicant can now officially operate the centre, which has been deemed suitable for the residential area. The outbuilding, located in the rear garden of the semi-detached property, has been in existence since at least 2006, as confirmed by aerial images. The centre will be open from Monday to Thursday, offering sessions between 9.30am and 6pm. Each session typically hosts one client and lasts for one hour and 15 minutes, with a maximum of two sessions per day. On rare occasions, up to four clients may be present at the same time. The clients are mostly local and are expected to walk to the sessions, with alternative parking areas identified for those who drive. Councillor Fouweather raised concerns about operating a business in a residential area, but no other objections were recorded. The planning consideration concluded that the proposed use of the outbuilding does not constitute a material change of use because of the limited and infrequent numbers of clients. The centre's operations are expected to have minimal noise and traffic impacts, consistent with the norms for a residential area. The proposed activities have been deemed consistent with the residential context. The decision was made under the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development)(Amendment)(Wales) Order 2013. The decision includes reference to specific documents: Building Plans V2.0, Application Form, and a confirming email received on May 8, 2025. The proposal is consistent with Newport's Well-Being Plan 2018–23 objectives.
South Wales Argus
20 hours ago
- Business
- South Wales Argus
Newport City Council offices 'not fit for purpose'
Newport City Council has previously looked into relocating from the Civic Centre to a smaller premises, details released under a Freedom of Information Act request show. A council spokesman said a potential relocation is no longer on the cards – but Conservative councillor David Fouweather claimed the local authority should give serious consideration to the benefits of finding a new home. He said any new council HQ would 'have to be' a central location in Newport, which would have the added bonus of helping 'boost city centre trade at lunchtimes'. The historic Westgate Hotel or the former Admiral building could both prove to be suitable locations, he suggested. A recent Freedom of Information Act request, by Conservative campaigner Michael Enea, found it cost the council around £1.05 million to run the Civic Centre last year. The response also showed there were typically between 200 and 350 staff working daily at the building – which has around 380 'office rooms'. 'I think the Civic Centre is not fit for purpose anymore,' said Cllr Fouweather. 'The running costs are horrendous. But what do you do with the building? That is a major problem. A lot of it is listed.' On the condition and current use of the building, he added: 'If you go down where the staff canteen used to be, it's totally abandoned. There's nothing there. It fell into a state of disrepair. Staff have to rely on vending machines.' Moving to a new, more appropriately-sized building would streamline the council's running costs – and should also spell the end of current remote working policies, according to Cllr Fouweather. 'There's absolutely no need now for working from home', he said, claiming that if more people worked in the office, 'you get a better service, deal with people directly, the public are able to come in rather than [deal with] remote staff where you've got to wait and wait for a response'. But a council spokesperson defended current working arrangements. 'The majority of Newport City Council staff have fixed places of work and do not work remotely,' they said. 'The council, as a modern and mature employer, has enabled those staff who can work from multiple locations to do so. 'While we keep all operational decisions under review, there are no plans to revert to a pre-pandemic position. There is no evidence that remote working from multiple locations has had a negative impact on productivity, while there are clear benefits to it around recruitment and retention, congestion and climate change.' The spokesperson said the previous consideration of relocating from the Civic Centre was part of its 'routine management of our estate… to ensure all of the office space we maintain is fit for purpose for what we need as an organisation'. 'We can confirm that at this moment, the council has no plans to relocate from the civic centre to another location,' they added.
