Wetherspoon's Welshpool bar plans

National pub chain JD Wetherspoon wants to open a new bar in Welshpool creating up to a dozen jobs, it was revealed today.

Company bosses said they had visited the Mid Wales town in a bid to find a suitable location to open a new pub and were looking at current pubs and other prominent buildings.

The opening of a new pub would create a number of jobs in the town, in addition to the 200 set to be created by the opening of the new Tesco store in February.

The pub giant, famed for serving cheap alcohol and food, ended years of speculation by confirming it was looking at Welshpool.

Adrian Hussain, JD Wetherspoon spokesman, said the company was looking at coming into the town, but could not confirm how many jobs would be created.

He said: "I can confirm that we are currently looking at sites in the area of Welshpool, but at present do not have further information."

The company said it often created around a dozen or more jobs with the opening of a new pub and expected this to be no different.

Mr Hussain added: "Once we have further information, we will post it up onto our website."

It has been a relatively good year for the pub trade in Welshpool this year, with The Green Dragon and The Mermaid both reopening after periods of closure.

Last week it was announced that three leading high street retailers have also signed up to open stores in the town as part of a major redevelopment.

The "huge" companies are set to open in the town along with Tesco.

Robert Robinson, town clerk, said today that he was excited by the scheme and that only one shop on the development by Tesco was left to be filled.

He said: "I can't reveal the names of the retailers who have signed up but they are huge high street names that we are thrilled to welcome to Welshpool.

"They will be located close to the canalside by the new Tesco store which is set to open in the back end of February and will be a zero-carbon building."

Mr Robinson added: "We are delighted as a council with how things are going so far because instead of sitting here and doing nothing we are trying to get people into the town."

By Andrew Morris