Newport has undergone major changes in the past year, with even more on the horizon in 2023 and beyond. Newport Market recently celebrated its first anniversary since reopening in March 2022 following a multi-million pound redevelopment that includes a food court and bar on the ground floor, 70 workspaces, and refurbished market stalls.
The market has been met with positive feedback and features many big names in the food industry including Meat and Greek, Flour and Ash and Seven Lucky Gods. Its success has been complimented by the redevelopment of Newport's Market Arcade just a few doors down on High Street and the transformation of Newport Arcade across the road late last year.
Although questions remain over the long-term plans for major spaces like the old Debenhams building and Admiral House, some other developments are set to take a step forward this year thanks to funding from Newport City Council. Here are the big projects the council is set to spend money on in the 2023/24.
Read more: Newport's changing identity: The city that always seems to take one step forward and two steps back
Transporter Bridge - £11,150,000
Plans to transform the 100-year-old Transporter Bridge – one of only two operational transporter bridges in the UK – were due to begin in 2021 after it was closed to the public but were dealt a significant blow when contractors Cleveland Bridge UK entered administration in July that year.
The plans, which include major repairs as well as a brand new visitor centre, have been hit with delays and cost increases and Newport City Council confirmed last year that a second contractor had entered administration, forcing it to re-tender the contracts for the project. A council report at the time confirmed the costs had risen from £11.9m to £16.9m, which it blamed on worsening market conditions due to Brexit and the pandemic. The issues also forced the council to underwrite a shortfall of £3m after the National Lottery Heritage Fund sympathetically agreed to increase its contribution to £10.7m.
In August the council confirmed it had appointed two new contractors for the visitor centre and restoration and that work was finally set to begin. No revised date for the reopening of the bridge has been confirmed but it will not reopen in spring 2023 as previously planned. Once completed it is expected that 47,000 people will visit the site annually within the first three years.
New leisure centre - £2,270,000
Plans are also continuing for a £90m Coleg Gwent campus on the site of the long-standing Newport Centre, which closed earlier this year after nearly 40 years and is set to be demolished in the coming weeks. There are plans to build a new £20m state-of-the-art leisure centre on a nearby brownfield site by the riverfront, permission for which was passed by Newport City Council in November 2021.
Although the new leisure centre is not expected to be completed until at least next year, the council will be putting several million into the project in 2023 as plans progress.
Market Arcade - £617,000
Newport council announced plans to restore the Victorian Grade II listed arcade two years ago to “reconnect owners, traders and the people of Newport with the historic significance of the arcade and its role in the growth of the city." The scheme finished last year but the council will finish its investment in the revamp in the coming months.
Demolition of Newport Centre - £1,200,000
The council was granted permission to demolish Newport Centre last October and the centre shut for the last time in March this year. First opened in 1985, the centre has hosted major gigs by the likes of David Bowie, Run DMC and Alice Cooper but has fallen into disrepair in recent years. Last year its swimming pool was forced to close permanently after Newport City Council deemed it beyond repair.
There is now scaffolding around the building with demolition expected in the coming weeks and set to be completed later this year. Gym and leisure services have temporarily relocated to Cambrian Centre on Cambrian Road, opposite the railway station next to Admiral House. Plans are progressing for a new Coleg Gwent campus at the site, but these are in their early stages.
Free school meals - £1,687,000
From September 2022, Newport has been offering free school meals to all pupils in reception, year 1 and year 2 in local authority-maintained schools. Children in year 3 and above are also able to if they are eligible, but they must apply. This is part of the Welsh Government target to offer all primary level pupils a free school meal by 2024. The council is putting more than £1 million into free school meals across the council area in 2023/24. You can find out more about free school meals here.
Education
The council is spending millions delivering on education improvements. This includes over £31m on its Sustainable Communities for Learning, a Welsh long term investment developing schools and colleges as hubs for learning and reducing the number of buildings in poor condition. It will also spend £1.2m on a Welsh medium primary school (Pillgwenlly/Nant Gwenlli), £204,000 on Pentrepoeth Primary school accessibility works, £1.7m on St Mary's Primary School and £1.6m on Charles William renovations.
Central Library - £518,000
Newport Council will also conclude its investment in revamping the Central Library, Museum and Art Gallery in John Frost Square, which reopened at the end of February after a seven month closure. The building was shut to undergo work to transform it into an 'information hub' last summer with a temporary pop-up library created at the nearby Kingsway Centre. Now work has completed including new meeting rooms for residents, increased accessibility and a "brighter and more welcoming" foyer.
Information Station - £23,000
The council is progressing plans to transform the information station next to the train station into a tech hub which will be operated by Tramshed Tech. Information station services have been moved to the recently renovated library on John Frost Square and Tramshed Tech is anticipating opening at the new hub in the summer or autumn. It already occupies space on High Street next to the market.
Gypsy and Traveller site development - £44,000
The council is also spending nearly £50,000 developing Gypsy and Traveller sites in the area.
Transport
The capital spending programme also includes transport improvements including £6.3m on private sector bus electrification and £2.6m on fleet replacement.
Parks and cemeteries improvements
The council is spending just over £1m on park improvements in Newport and £802,000 on improvements to council-run cemeteries.
Social services - £2.4m
A number of social services will be funded including £224,000 on expanding Rosedale Annexes in Langstone for looked-after children, £1.6m on the former Cambridge House children's home which the council is considering using for asylum seekers, and £596,000 for the Forest Lodge care home.
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