Cooke & Arkwright
News
Greggs take first bite at Celtic Springs retail quarter
12/08/09
A retail ‘quarter’ is taking shape at Newport’s £100m Celtic Springs Business Park. A parade of shops close to the existing Dragon Fly pub and restaurant and Express at Holiday Inn, to the east of the park, will add to the facilities already present at the 45- acre business park adjacent to the A48 and near junction 28 of the M4. One of the three planned shops has already been snapped up by Greggs, who are eager to open for business on the park by the end of the year. The new store will lead to the creation of 12 new jobs.
Work starts in August on preparing the site for the retail units which are being developed jointly by business park developer AWG Property and Cyncoed Property Limited.
AWG Property Operations Director, Iain Logue, said: “Celtic Springs Business Park has a unique combination of facilities which we believe are hard to match anywhere else in Wales or indeed the UK. The three retail outlets, offering a total of some 5,500 sq ft of space, will further enhance the excellent on site amenities already enjoyed by occupiers of this very special business park.
“Greggs has agreed to take one of the units, unit three, and there is firm interest in the other two and we have yet to start building on the site.
“We are going ahead with the scheme to satisfy what is a pent up demand on the business park for this kind of service. We know, from speaking to people who work on the business park, that they would much rather be able to walk to a shop to get a roll or a coffee than have to drive off site. It makes perfect sense and also helps reduce the carbon footprint.”
Greggs’ Retail Operations Manager, Russell Gower, said: “Greggs have been very interested in obtaining a shop in or near Celtic Springs for several years now. It’s an attractive proposition to us due to its accessibility and ample parking. There is very good potential for customers from the many business occupants at Celtic Springs, while it is also highly visible to passing traffic on the busy dual carriageway nearby.
“This will offer us the opportunity to create up to a dozen new jobs on top of the 50 already created this year at five other new outlets, all acquired for us by Cooke & Arkwright. I am delighted that we will be able to service the needs of workers and passers by when it comes to great quality food at fantastic value for money. We look forward to being open before Christmas.”
Celtic Springs Business Park is already home to HM Prison Service, at Phoenix House, Wales & West Utilities, EADS, Nucleus Healthcare, St John’s on the Hill Children’s Nursery, The Dragon Fly Pub and the Express by Holiday Inn. Currently some 5,000 people work either on or in the immediate vicinity of the business park.