LAND at a Newport business park earmarked for a hotel development, is to be used to provide a car park.

The site, north of Phoenix House, off Buchanan Way on the city's Celtic Springs Business Park, was intended to be used to build a hotel, but 10 years on from planning permission being granted for that project, it remains empty.

Developers Celtic Hotel Developments Limited say that currently there is not enough bed space demand for a hotel in this location, and planning permission has now been granted by the city council to enable the site - almost two acres in size - to be used for the foreseeable future as a 221-space car park.

It will serve the neighbouring Shared Services Connected Limited (SSCL), formerly known - according to a council planning report - as the Prison Service.

SSCL has 750 staff based at Phoenix House, and the new car park will help ease parking problems at Celtic Springs.

Permission has been granted until the end of December 2019, when the council will review the situation in order to safeguard regeneration proposals.

There remains the possibility too, that a hotel development on the site could go ahead in the future.