the Olympics factor is certainly doing its magic for Hutchings & Thomas after a difficult July.

The marvellous successes of our athletes at the Olympics appears to have had a knock on effect for us with clients imbued with the feel good factor agreeing deals and signing on the dotted line.

The Olympics has certainly given us all a lift after a quiet month of enquiries and deals. The last week of July and first couple of days of August have been encouraging not only in terms of viewings but also deals being agreed.

We are most certainly seeing a major shift in landlord’s attitudes, especially those with office premises available, with deals now being offered on terms that may never be seen again. So if you’re in the market for new office space make sure that you are on your marks , ready and set to go to make that deal and snatch a golden opportunity to secure the office space of your dreams. Like the Olympics these deals don’t come around that often!

Meanwhile a recent Government report the Portas Report announcing plans to revitalise city centres high lights real concerns  over the scarcity of shoppers coming into shopping malls and city centres. However statistics recently released show Newport bucking that trend. The report points to more shops becoming  vacant which is major and quite obvious problem for the city of Newport

The Portas Report says centres will only start to be revitalised if the red tape stifling entrepreneurs and potential investors is cut to make it easier for business people to move into retail premises and open ’pop-up shops’.  Under the guidelines retailers will have two years to apply for planning permission rather than needing to do this immediately.

This is a very good idea in principle and yes a couple of deals may result from this in Newport but I fear that it is not a long term solution but a short term stop gap. Landlords will most probably consider pop-up shops for established retailers but very few will take a punt on start-up businesses.

Key to the regeneration of Newport is the Friars Walk scheme. I am sure you’ve all seen the plans for the centre of Newport. It is all extremely exciting but I am in agreement with Newport City Council leader Cllr Bob Bright and former leader Cllr. Matthew Evans in being ‘incredibly disappointed’ with the Passport Office electing to move to Nexus House on Lower Dock Street, not far from but not in the city centre instead of taking other options available such as the Corn Exchange on High Street.  Now that really would have been statement of intent and a mark of confidence in Newport.

Newport, it seems, yet again has missed out in showing people what we have to offer when the development is complete – the visitors to the passport office, who descend on the city from all across the UK, will now miss the city centre all together. The city centre could have got a gold but instead ended up with the bronze.