The UK seaside city rocked by store closures where 1 in 5 high street shops is empty

The UK is home to a number of thriving high streets, but one seaside city is unfortunately battling a mass exodus of businesses. Newport in South Wales topped the list of cities with the higest percentage of empty shops, according to a report from Centre for Cities. Nearly one in five shops lie empty in the seaside city, or 19%. There are between 2.5 and 2.9 shops for every 1,000 people in Newport, as well as in Wign and Middlesbrough.

This is a much higher percentage than in cities like Brighton and Liverpool, where just under 10% of shops have closed down. Centre for Cities discovered that the worst-affected areas are often located near larger cities, as people will travel there to spend their money. Although it's already a city, Newport loses almost 5% of its high street spending to nearby Cardiff, just 11 miles away.

Despite its disappointing high street, Newport is popular for commuters to Bristol and other big cities in the UK.

It offers a more affordable cost of living while still providing a quick commute. According to property studies by Zoopla, Newport has become a "commuter hotspot" for those working in Bristol.

The city, which had a population of 159,600 in 2021, was made more appealing by the removal of tolls on the M48 Severn Bridge in 2018.

Property site Rightmove says that house prices in Newport have an overall average of £248,967 over the last year. Meanwhile, terraced properties sold for an average of £185,294 and semi-detached homes went for £242,698.

The Welsh city is also urging authorities to reopen an old train station to attract more tourists to its famous Roman heritage sites. Located on the east side of Newport, in South Wales, Caerleon is a small town known as a gem for history lovers.

Caerleon was once the site of Isca Augusta, a major Roman fortress and headquarters of the Second Augustan Legion. It was one of only three permanent legionary bases in Roman Britain.

The town is home to the Roman Amphitheatre which is one of the best-preserved in the UK, capable of seating around 6,000 spectators, and locals want more facilities to attract more visitors.

In a recent council meeting, the residents suggested reopening an old railway station due to a traffic nightmare. They said it could help ease "chronic" congestion and draw in tourists.