NEWPORT City Council (NCC) has said it plans to install CCTV, repair lights and reinstall a two way mirror in a graffitied subway.

It comes after the developer behind a number of major projects in Newport agreed to hand over more than £250,000 towards revamping the secluded site, which runs underneath a railway, and links Devon Place and Kingsway.

The local authority has said the site - where two sex attacks took place there in 2011 - needs to be improved, with plans for a footbridge to replace it in the long term remaining a council “aspiration”.

“However until the bridge is delivered, the council agrees the existing subway needs improvement and plans to install CCTV, repairing lights and reinstalling a two way mirror so users can see who is approaching them are now being considered,” said a spokeswoman.

She also called construction of a bridge over a busy railway station a considerable logistical task, adding that once the design is approved and built there are only two days in the year that the bridge can be installed – Christmas Day and Easter Sunday.

“The need to improve pedestrian links between Devon Place and Queensway through the provision of a new footbridge has long been an aspiration for Newport City Council,” the spokeswoman added.

“Welsh Government (WG) has now provided funding to enable preliminary work to be undertaken with regards to an outline design that will meet the requirements of all stakeholders and planning.

“Should this be successful, NCC and WG will work to identify funding for the construction phase of the bridge.”

As previously reported in the Argus, Garrison Barclay, who provided the £250,000 subway funding, is planning on converting the dilapidated former sorting office in Mill Street into offices and a hotel.

Development director Ian Carter previously said, regarding the subway money: “At the moment the plan is that this contribution will be provided directly to Newport council who will work up the improvement scheme. The works will need to be complete prior to the hotel opening which, subject to planning, will be in the first quarter of 2019.”

The footbridge plans were due to have been completed by March last year, but have been repeatedly delayed.