"NOWHERE is better placed to reap the benefit" of the tolls on the two Severn bridges being scrapped than Newport, an AM has said.

The tolls are due to be scrapped on Monday, December 17, meaning drivers will no longer have to pay up to £20 to get into Wales or delays caused by passing through the toll booths.

And, speaking in the Assembly last week, South Wales East AM Mark Reckless spoke of the benefits he believed the move would bring to Gwent.

"The economic geography of south Wales and the west of England will be revolutionised," he said. "Nowhere is better placed to reap the benefit than Newport."

The Independent AM, who is part of the Assembly's Conservative group, said rail electrification to Cardiff and the long-awaited M4 relief road - which is yet to get the go-ahead - promised to boost the city further.

The former Ukip AM continued more house building in Newport and the surrounding area was crucial if the opportunities are to be grasped.

"House building does not just increase the amount and choice of housing available - it also drives economic growth, creates jobs and generates tax revenue," he said.

"Land transaction tax is now devolved, and a good slice of income tax will be from April.

"If Newport is able to attract more people working in Bristol on good salaries, both Newport and Welsh Government will benefit.

"Higher numbers of professionals living in the centre of the city will also boost demand for reviving the night-time, retail and leisure economies in Newport."

Newport West AM Jayne Bryant also spoke, saying: "Newport is the gateway to Wales, and the abolition of the Severn bridge tolls in December will bring great opportunities to the city.

"Yet, as with every opportunity, there are challenges and we cannot ignore the congestion problem, and this must be tackled.

"Newport is a great place to live and we know that more and more people are choosing to make their home in this city. This brings with it the challenge of ensuring we have the right infrastructure to support the growth."

Replying to the debate, Mr Skates said: "I would welcome the construction of additional new homes, and the announcement that the Severn bridge tolls will be scrapped on December 17 will also boost economic connectivity into the region.

"We know that the figure, in terms of benefit to Wales, is around about £100 million a year, and, with regard to house building, whilst I would welcome the building of new homes, I'd say it's absolutely essential that those homes are built for people who would otherwise, perhaps, be forced to leave the community in which they have grown up because of a lack of housing stock, and therefore too high a price to be paid for existing properties."

But he said Brexit brought challenges with it.

"In Newport, a city that has such a strong manufacturing economy and where many businesses are part of very complex supply chains and networks that reach right across Europe, I think that that reality is very well known," he said.

"So, despite a strong conviction that a deal must be struck, I think it's also equally important to say that we have a responsibility to prepare for our exit from the EU."

Concluding, Mr Skates said: "With all that we are doing as a government in Newport, as well as across the whole of Wales, there is cause for optimism and confidence in the city and in the region, now and for the future."