Newtown Ladywell Centre to get cafes, bars and offices

Developers hope to boost the former shopping centre with a continental-style cafe culture

The next stage of a former shopping centre redevelopment which could create 160 jobs in Powys has been given the go-ahead.

Cafes, bars, restaurants and offices will now be allowed at the former Ladywell shopping centre in Newtown.

Confirming the approval under delegated powers, Powys planning officers said they had no objections.

Architects Ke-Design said the small shop units were the "perfect size" for start-up businesses.

They said the "boulevard" part of the Ladywell Centre development could become a general meeting area where people working at businesses there could eat, make contacts and share ideas.

The shopping centre was built in 1981

The scheme had already been backed by Newtown and Llanllwchaiarn Town Council.

The shopping centre, which included a Co-op supermarket, was built in 1981 and bought by developers Evabuild in 2017, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

In February, vehicle tracking software company Quartix moved its headquarters into the former Co-op premises in the first phase of the redevelopment.