Plans for a new leisure centre and Coleg Gwent campus in Newport city centre have taken a key step forward. Proposals for a £90m campus on the site of the existing Newport Centre have now gone out for a pre-planning consultation, with members of the public being invited to have their say.
The plans would see the long-standing Newport Centre demolished, with plans to build a new £20m state-of-the-art leisure centre a nearby brownfield site by the riverfront. Planning permission for that project was passed by Newport City Council in November last year. You can read more about that here.
When completed the new campus will see Coleg Gwent relocated from its existing campus on Nash Road, and forms part of the council's plans for the Newport Knowledge Quarter (NKQ) joining the University of South Wales campus. The council was criticised back in 2020 after it was accused of "backtracking" on its plans for a Knowledge Quarter in the city, with little in the way of action since the project was announced back in 2016.
Read more: Newport's changing identity: The city that always seems to take one step forward and two steps back
However, the plans now appear to be back on track with members of the public being invited to give their views on the new campus plans between now and the closing date on August 8. Coleg Gwent previously told WalesOnline it hoped the plans would bring more than 2,000 staff and students into the city. Traders and locals have previously lamented the loss of much of Newport's once-thriving student population following the closure of its Caerleon campus in 2016.
The council is also submitting a bid to the UK government to support a National Technology Institute in a yet-to-be determined city centre location. Details of this are yet to be published but it is hoped the plans would further improve the tech education offering in Newport.
Work is also progressing on the £20m leisure centre, which the council says it wants to make as 'green' as possible as part of its climate change commitment. It is understood information on potential energy schemes is being gathered and that final options are expected to go before the Newport City Council Cabinet in the coming months. Newport Centre, which first opened in 1985, remains open although its pool is closed after falling into disrepair.
Councillor Jane Mudd, leader of Newport City Council, said: “We have been working closely with Coleg Gwent and Welsh Government on our plans to bring further education provision into the heart of the city centre.
“The Newport Knowledge Quarter will offer excellent learning environments for further and higher education helping to inspire generations of young people. Our aspiration to add a national technology institute - delivering high quality, higher level technical education and training – will be another valuable and much-needed asset for the city.
“These developments are part of our masterplan for the city centre – regeneration projects that will deliver employment, learning and training opportunities, create a more diverse mix of uses and make it an attractive place to live in, work in and visit.”
Guy Lacey, principal and chief executive of Coleg Gwent, said: “Coleg Gwent is extremely excited about the opportunity to build a brand-new campus in the city centre. It will create a truly first-class learning environment for all the people of Newport, in a location that is easy to access from all areas of the city.
“The location in the heart of the city will also see the campus make a really positive contribution to the regeneration of the city centre and will see the college providing education and training alongside the university and proposed new technology institute.
“Our plans are subject to funding from the Welsh Government, and we are working closely with officials to progress our business case through the required stages, and we look forward to making good progress on the project during the coming months”
A joint planning application by the council and Coleg Gwent will be submitted after the consultation period ends. You can find out more and view the consultation here.
READ NEXT:
-
The incredible photographs that will make you want to revisit Newport Centre in the past
-
The streets in Newport where you’re most likely to get a parking fine
-
Taxpayer gave £1 million to private owners of Friars Walk to cover lost rent from empty shops
-
Met Office issues 'extreme heat' warning for large parts of Wales
-
Woman suffers neck injury in serious dog attack on couple at their home
