THE Welsh Government could provide a multi-million- pound grant for the new city centre bus station, a council meeting heard.

Newport council leader Bob Bright told a meeting of full council that the city centre redevelopment was progressing well.

But he said that more than half of the planned scheme for John Frost Square would be need to be pre-let before funding would be obtained.

He said he was planning a meeting with selected city centre developers Queensberry.

Labour Cllr Bright said the retail development was progressing “extremely well”.

“The next stage is to take the project to the financial markets,”

he said.

Cllr Bright said £90million funding would be needed, but it was only likely that could be obtained after around 50 to 60 per cent of the scheme was pre-let.

He said he was hopeful the council would receive a Welsh Government grant in the millions for the bus station aspect of the development.

Cllr Bright said he was in the process of arranging a further meeting with Queensberry which would be attended by the cabinet member for regeneration and development, Cllr John Richards.

Mr Bright said preparatory works were already under way on the Cambrian Centre, where Scarborough Development Group plans to demolish part of the run-down centre and car park, to create a sixstorey office block, new shops and a public square.