A £10M scheme to regenerate Caldicot town centre has been backed by Monmouthshire County Council’s Cabinet.

It is hoped that within three years the investestment would help create a vibrant shopping centre, an apartment complex, better accessibility and new roads.

With the ending of the Severn Bridge tolls set to provide a regional boost, the plan was backed by the Cabinet for submission to the Welsh Government’s Targeted Regeneration Investment (TRI) programme.

It says the economic potential of Severnside with its population of 20,000 must be “unlocked” to take advantage of the opportunities.

Council deputy leader Cllr Bob Greenland (Con, Wolves-

newton) said the programme would make a “huge difference” to the town.

The plan proposes spending £7.3m on refurbishing the parade of shops facing the pedestrianised town centre and backing onto Jubilee Way car park.

It would also allow for 27 apartments, an urban courtyard and a new car park, with funding for better shop frontages and improved signage, with more than £750,000 set aside to improve public spaces on Newport Road.

Another £500,000 could be spent on improving links in the northern half of the town centre.

Caldicot town councillors have previously expressed concern about the loss of car parking spaces in Jubilee Way.

The Cabinet has agreed to spend £147,000 to submit the project development funding application, and a provisional spending plan of £148,669 for 2018/19 has also been supported, backed by section 106 funding which developers pay as part of being granted planning permission.