This year is an important year for the future of Newport.

It is the year which will see the new leisure and retail centre at Friars Walk open its doors.

It is the year which could see Newport County being promoted to Division One of the Football League.

And it is the year which will see a number of other developments get under way in the city centre and see the Newport Business Improvement District start its work.

Friars Walk, which is being developed by Queensberry Real Estate, is on course to open in the autumn with retailers including Debenhams, New Look, Next and H+M already signed up to take space.

Cineworld is also coming to Friars Walk along with a host of restaurants including Cosmo, Nandos and Frankie and Bennies.

Work started on the development in the spring of 2014 and the topping out ceremony was held just before Christmas.

It is expected that fitting out of Debenhams will start early this year.

It is also expected that as the opening dates gets closer more businesses will get on board with the scheme, which is seen by many as an important part of the regeneration of Newport.

Newport County is currently sitting fourth in Division Two, within the play-off places. If the team are promoted at the end of the season it will see the city being put even more firmly on the map with supporters from all over the country visiting the city every time home games are staged at Rodney Parade.

Plans are afoot for the redevelopment of Olympia House in the city centre into a selection of retail, offices and residential and work is set to start in the near future on a new Premier Inn opposite the city's railway station.

Graham Morgan, director of the South Wales Chamber of Commerce, said: “2015 will undoubtedly be an important year for the city of Newport. From the opening of retail development, Friars Walk, to the start of the electrification of the railway and President Clinton addressing an audience at the Celtic Manor, there is plenty to be excited about in 2015.

“It is, however, crucial that businesses harness the potential presented by the development of the Cardiff Capital City Region. People across the Newport area need to continue to work with their neighbours from Bridgend through to Monmouthshire to ensure that the City Region is a success and that the region becomes an economic powerhouse helping to drive the whole of the Welsh economy forward.

“Likewise, colleges and the university in Newport have an important role to play in training people to ensure that they are equipped with the right skills to support business growth. If the public, private and academic sectors can truly work together during 2015 then it will be of genuine, long-term benefit to Wales.”

This year may well be the most significant in a very long time for the city of Newport, says Haydn Thomas, of Hutchings & Thomas Chartered Surveyors.

Haydn, of the Newport-based chartered surveyors, said: “After a very long time everything seems to be coming together for the city of Newport with the biggest and most eagerly anticipated of developments the opening of the Friars Walk scheme due in November.

“The retail development will add a complete new dimension to the city with the potential to attract a totally new element to the offering in the city centre. Add to this to the redevelopment of Olympia House in the city centre and the plans for the King’s Hotel into a mix of commercial and retail and the place will look and indeed be a great deal different at the end at the end of this year compared to now and indeed the past few years.

"Admiral is also expanding its head count at the offices in Newport and the University of South Wales is poised to exercise its option on expansion land in the city centre.

"The occupation by Welsh Water at its new office block on Celtic Springs Business Park, near Junction 28 of the M4, will also bring a new wave of people into the area that will be looking to explore their new environment. And add to this the very real chance that Newport County could reach the plays offs and who knows get promoted and altogether 2015 could be a very exciting and significant year indeed for the city of Newport.”