NEWPORT councillors have unanimously agreed to back plans for a development at Usk Way, between the University of South Wales (USW) city campus and Castle Bingo.

The outline application aims to find a use for a site, with Newport City Council proposing to use it for offices, education, a hotel or leisure.

One option is to relocate Coleg Gwent’s Nash Road campus, in a £90 million investment which could bring hundreds of students and staff to the city centre.

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Although there is no proposed car park as part of the outline application, planning officers said it was well located in the city centre and close to both Kingsway and Friars Walk car parks.

In the planning meeting, Cllr Charles Ferris questioned the potential multiple uses for the site.

He said: “I am a bit surprised it’s a bit loose over its future use.

“Wasn’t that area marked down for being education or council usage and didn’t the university have to have the option to develop it?”

However, the planning committee was told that while the site was originally intended to allow the university to expand on the site, this option has since expired.

The site has been vacant for a number of years and there is no planning designation for the site other than being in the city centre.

Almost all the site would be used, to provide 995sq metres of floorspace. The building is planned to be three-four storeys.

The approval of the application is subject to Natural Resources Wales also backing the plans.