Setting the Foundations for our Cultural and Economic Boom

This year is big for the city of Newport. This is our moment to set the foundations for our cultural and economic boom. Our moment to once again show the country that Newport’s best days lie ahead of it, not behind it.

Newport has a glorious past. Something we should celebrate and remember fondly. From our Roman heritage, the Chartists, steelmaking, TJs and our music scene, to when the city centre was booming with big retail shops.

But our world is continuing to change fast. During my first of year leadership, I noticed a common response to how Newport should adapt to this change. For some people the answer is to go back to the past, to recreate a memory of when Newport was thriving. Depending on who you speak to, this time period varies, but theme remains the same, bring back the old days.

These memories are to be treasured and celebrated but if we cling to the past, we will forfeit our present and future. We must act upon and seize on our potential now. The history of the city teaches us this over and over again. Newport has boomed when it led and leaned into previous industrial booms. These booms also meant a surge in the city’s population. We are at that point again.

Newport is the fastest growing area in Wales. The 2021 census showed that Newport grew 9.5% between 2011 and 2021, which was nearly double the growth of Cardiff; Wales only grew 1.5%. If we take a more detailed look, the census figures show that are over 65s (14.5%) and under 15s (10.2%) experienced the biggest growth. This pace of growth is not slowing. A recent report by external consultants estimated that Newport’s population would grow 14.2% by 2040, the fastest in the region.

This is positive news for the city, especially the growth in the under-15s. Under this age group, this is the largest growth in Wales, nearly double of the nearest rival Cardiff. No other area comes close to this. In fact, this bucks the trend of Western Europe, which are experiencing an aging population and decline. This population boom should mean Newport will increasingly become the growth engine for Wales and cement Newport as an economic powerhouse.

However, a population boom is not enough to ensure our prosperity. We must embrace the future to fulfil that potential. We need to be supportive of wealth creators, completely re-engineer the city centre, empower local communities, rethink how a local authority operates as well as welcome and lead technological change, not be scared by it.

Newport has always become wealthier based on industry. In the past, it was coal and steel. Now, it leads the way in advanced manufacturing. Nearly every modern electronic device probably has a bit of Newport in it, from a washing machine to a car.

At Imperial Park, we have companies building the current and future technologies of the modern world. From AI infrastructure and cloud computing to microchips that make the world tick. We even have a company that builds the machine that builds the microchips, 98% of which are exported. These are highly skilled, high paying jobs for local people. For example, the average at a data centre is £76,000 and £49,000 for the semiconductor plants.

To fully realise this potential will take persistence, tenaciousness and grit. Something the people of Newport have in spades. There will be ups and downs, setbacks and challenges, but the trajectory is upwards.

I, we, the council, can’t do this alone. We need the majority of Newportonians to realise the city’s potential, support change and not be fearful of the future. There are, and will be, many loud voices, especially on social media, who only sell negativity, depression and blame. That is not a path to success for an individual or a city. Success is based on positivity and fearlessness. We can make this happen if we do not remain locked in by our past.