RETAIL giant Sports Direct has been given the go ahead for its proposal to convert part of the former Megabowl site in Newport into a megastore, it has been revealed.

Owners, Pontypool-based Johnsey Estates, are now waiting to see if the planning inspectorate decision on the boarded-up bowling alley site at Newport Retail Park, Spytty, turns out to be the result they want.

Sports Direct have yet to say what they plan to do in light of the planning appeal judgement.

The Planning Inspectorate has ruled that part of the former Megabowl site in Newport can be turned into a retail unit with gym after granting planning permission on appeal into a planning application for the whole site.

The appeal was brought by site owner Johnsey Estates and Sports Direct after Newport City Council planning officers refused planning permission for a scheme on the site early last year.

Officers had decided that the proposals would significantly harm the vitality and viability of Newport city centre.

This was despite the company saying the new mixed leisure and retail outfit would have created 150 new jobs.

Planning officers made the decision despite Newport council having lost an appeal over the Megabowl in 2008 after it turned down an application for mixed leisure and retail use.

Sports Direct and Johnsey Estates applied for permission for the retailer to move the store, incorporating a gym and possibly Home Bargains. One big objector to the plans was Queensberry Real Estate, the developer of the city centre Friars Walk scheme.

The firm claimed that the applicant had inaccurately tested whether different city retail sites could accommodate Sports Direct.

Sports Direct had been hoping to move from the nearby Newport Retail Park into the vacant former bowling alley at Spytty.

At the time of the initial refusal a spokeswoman for Sports Direct said: “Our intention with this unit would have been to invest around £5m to create a 35,000 sq ft retail unit together with a 20,000 sq ft gym – a proposition which would have created 150 full and part-time jobs.”

A planning inquiry was held in November last year into the appeal and the inspector, Andrew Poulter, delivered his finding earlier this month.

He granted the plans for unit 2 (the part of the application relating to Sports Direct) but dismissed the plans for unit 1 (which would have seen more retail space possibly to have been taken by Home Bargains).

A spokesperson for Newport City Council said: “While we are disappointed that part of the appeal was allowed by the independent inspector, we are pleased to note that he has acknowledged that the vitality of the city centre does need to be taken into account when making planning decisions and gives his support for the ‘city centre first’ approach in our Local Development Plan.

“Confidence is growing in the city centre with a number of important projects taking shape, such as Friars Walk and the Vibrant and Viable Places programme, but the need to continue to protect and support it was clearly recognised by the inspector.”

A spokesman for Johnsey Estates, which owns the site, said that the ball was now in Sports Direct court and they were waiting to hear what the firm now planned to do.

Business Argus has contacted Sports Direct for a comment, which so far has not been forthcoming.