Newport's British Home Stores was once one of the city's most popular shops, with thousands flooding through the doors every year. Once a mainstay on UK high streets, the department store chain was forced to close its 163 stores after it plunged into financial turmoil back in 2016.

The news was a blow for thousands of workers who lost their jobs and there were sad scenes at the Newport outlet on Commercial Street, where staff embraced for the last time as shoppers flocked to grab some final bargains on its last day of trading in July 2016.

The shop on 16-18 Commercial Street, near Chartist Tower, has lain empty ever since, serving as a daily reminder of a bygone era in Newport's retail history. There have been some mooted plans and a new proposal in the pipeline but seven years on the future of the site remains unclear. For the latest Newport news, sign up to our newsletter here.

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What has happened since? There was some excitement when proposals to convert the old BHS site into a hub offering job centre type facilities on behalf of the Department for Work and Pensions were put forward in February 2021. The plans would have seen part of the BHS building occupied by the overflow job centre, which would have been an appointment-only facility manned with work coaches and security staff. However, in May that year the proposals were withdrawn for undisclosed reasons.

Workers hug outside the BHS store on Commercial Street on its last day on July 23, 2016

However, there may be hope on the horizon for the long-empty unit, as new plans to convert part of the site into a bank were submitted in January 2023. Few details were given at the time but in June the proposals were approved by Newport City Council. Earlier this month the plans took a step forward with another application to install windows, shopfronts, cladding, CCTV cameras and other features. It has since been revealed that Barclays will be the bank going into the building, relocating from its existing location.

The plans will not use the entire building which will be divided, with Barclays taking up one part. There are no plans as of yet for the remaining side of the building. The news comes after the first tenants were announced for Swansea's former BHS store which is being transformed into a community hub. You can read more about that here.