A NEWPORT shopping centre is to extend its opening hours to allow people to get from one side of the city to the other while demolition works are underway.

Since works began two weeks ago steps leading from the bus station to John Frost Square have been closed.

Michael Hine of the Kingsway Centre told the Argus that the centre will be open from 7am to 7pm, Monday to Saturday, to help people get from one side of the demolition site to the other.

The move will allow people to walk from the pedestrian entrance to the car park near Newport Centre, through to the lifts, into the shopping mall and out. Signs have been erected to help direct people around the works.

Mr Hine, the centre’s manager, said: “We decided to see if we can help shoppers and residents, particularly those who live in the area, to try and make it easier to get from one side of the demolition site to another.“

Demolition contractors arrived at the John Frost Square site on October 28, with much of the old Newport Bus Station closing as a result.

The work is in preparation for the Friars Walk shopping and leisure redevelopment, and will see the former Capitol car park and some shops in John Frost Square demolished. Part of the bus station is remaining open due to delays with completing the new Market Square bus terminus on Upper Dock Street.

Newport council said the delay came after a number of unforeseen problems were encountered during construction. Stands two to 11, which are not affected by the demolition work, will now remain open for the services that will eventually transfer to Market Square. Other buses have transferred to stops across the city centre.

Friars Walk is expected to create more than 390,000 square feet of retail and leisure space and is set to include branches of Debenhams, Nandos, Prezzo, Topshop, Debenhams and Cineworld.

It will include a 360 space car park and a new bus station, and could create 1,000 retail jobs and 300 construction posts.