t1/4?lti-million pound Friars Walk shopping development will push Newport into the top 100 retail centres in the UK according to a report published tomorrow.

The findings were released by Experian, a leading provider of retail property information on British high streets and shopping centres.

Work is expected to start on the £200 million shopping centre in the early part of next year and is due to be completed in time for the 2010 Ryder Cup.

Debenhams, River Island and New Look are just some of the retailers who have signed up to have their stores in the flagship centre.

Along with retail outlets, Friars Walk will also feature restaurants, a cinema and apartments as well as a 1,400 space car park.

In the first report published by Experian since 2004, current top performing retail centres from across the UK are listed as well as a projection for the future of Britains' retail outlets and the top 100 for 2017.

The forecast is based on a calculation of the amount of expenditure on goods a centre is likely to attract compared with the retail strength it offers and the amount of competition it has from the surrounding areas.

John Burrows, chief executive of Newport Unlimited, said: "I'm delighted that Experian have said Newport is getting back into the top 100, that's where we should be. It is vindication of al the work we are doing and we think we will be even better than Experion think we will be.

"I think we will get many more people shopping in Newport which currently don't and help get Newport back to what it was fifty years ago, when it was a bustling shopping centre."