Twm Owen, Local Democracy Reporter
Turning a former Post Office into a food and drink outlet has been described as the “only realistic prospect” of finding a new tenant for the long-empty premises.
The former newsagent and Post Office in Caldicot town centre’s pedestrianised shopping area has been vacant since November 2022.
Two agents have been actively marketing the shop for the past four years and the landlord has also completed an internal refurbishment while the original £20,000 a year rent has been reduced, by 40 per cent, to £12,000 but has still failed to attract a new retail tenant.
Landlords, Bristol-based Rookman Properties, has now been granted change of use planning permission to allow the ground floor of 12 Wesley Buildings on Newport Road to be used for food and drink use, which is A3 permission.
Agents are convinced there are no longer prospective tenants for the existing A1 retail use and the application, which aims to attract tenants as there are no future occupiers in place, has been approved.
Chepstow-based property consultant, Julian Bladen, who is currently marketing the property along with Cardiff-based retail and leisure agents EJ Hales, provided a statement in support of the change of use application.
Mr Bladen told Monmouthshire County Council’s planning department: “We believe that the requested change of planning use is the only realistic prospect of securing an occupier for the subject property. Otherwise, the premises will likely remain vacant for a very long time.”
In the past four years Mr Bladen there had only been five viewings with three of the prospective tenants considering the property for a restaurant or takeaway and the others for an office and barbershop.
The relocation of the front door of the Aldi supermarket, from the pedestrian walkway to Newport Road, is also said to have been a further blow to the town centre.
“I am of the opinion that the recent relocation of the store entrance of the neighbouring supermarket from the pedestrian walkway to the front of the roadside has significantly reduced passing footfall in this location, which in turn has significantly reduced demand from A1 occupiers,” wrote Mr Bladen.
Town centre difficulties
He also laid out the difficulties facing Caldicot town centre and said: “Unfortunately, there is limited interest in the property and this reflects the general situation in Caldicot town centre.
“There are currently a very low level of prospective occupiers for A1 use operators. Some properties in the town centre have been vacant for several years, which clearly illustrates the shortage of active requirements from A1 use operators to take space in the immediate vicinity of the subject property. This includes 43 Newport Road Caldicot, which we have advertised since November 2019.”
Caldicot Labour councillor Maria Stephens told the planning department she understood the reasons for the proposed change of use and said: “Although disappointed, I am fully aware of the shift from retail to a food/drink establishment. So I support this application.”
Council planning officer Kate Young said the shop isn’t considered part of Caldicot’s ‘primary shopping frontage’ as it doesn’t face directly onto the pedestrianised part of Newport Road. The relevant council policy, to support central shopping areas, does allows food and drink uses in ground floor units meaning the change of use is within policy.
Any business operating from the unit will be restricted to opening hours of between 6.30am to 11.30am Monday to Saturday and from 8am to 10pm on Sundays.
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