Senior councillors in Newport have given their stamp of approval to a 15-year strategy for the city centre.
Newport City Council's Cabinet has approved the final placemaking plan, which was drawn up following extensive consultation and engagement with the public, businesses and other organisations.
The plan has a 15-year lifespan and is split into short, medium and long-term proposals. The majority of the short-term goals are likely to be achieved within the next 18 months to two years.
Among the short-term proposals are a regular street food market on the riverfront by the Steel Wave, licensed busking performance stages throughout the city centre, improved street lighting, and a children's playground.
Medium-term plans (two – seven years) include finding permanent tenants for the former Debenhams and Cineworld sites in Friars Walk, completion of the new leisure centre currently under construction on the riverfront, building a new Coleg Gwent campus (replacing the one at Nash) on the site of the former Newport Centre, increasing the use of the river, developing the ‘cabbage patch' at Rodney Parade, and finding a new use for the Westgate Hotel.
Long-term goals (seven+ years) include an ambitious regeneration of the southern end of Commercial Street – demolishing disused buildings, creating a contracted but more vibrant retail area, creating a new public park, and bringing the Great Central Hall back into use.
Councillor James Clarke, cabinet member for regeneration and business growth, said:
“Many of the ideas in the report came from our residents and this is very much the city’s blueprint for the future, not the council’s.
“It will be delivered through collaboration with partners and communities, supported by the council.
“Some of the more ambitious proposals will naturally take longer to become a reality than others but there is a strong commitment to realise the full vision by 2040.
“We are already seeing some of the short-term interventions taking shape and this will continue over the summer.
“The city centre has faced challenging times but we are definitely seeing signs of recovery with the arrival of new ventures and increasing numbers of visitors.
“We have some amazing businesses, a significant percentage of which are independents, including unique retail and leisure offerings, fantastic hospitality and music venues and city centre living.
“The placemaking plan sets out a positive, proactive road map for the future of the city centre and we know it is being welcomed by many residents, businesses and visitors.”
