An alternative Masterplan for Newport by Nicolas Webb 1 Contents Ambitious for Newport ............................................................................................................................ 3 A fresh approach to politics ................................................................................................................. 3 Introduction ......................................................................................................................................... 3 Parameters ........................................................................................................................................... 3 Objective .............................................................................................................................................. 4 The advantages of being Welsh & a gateway city ............................................................................... 4 Movement ............................................................................................................................................... 6 Overview .............................................................................................................................................. 6 A Bus Rapid Transit exemplar .............................................................................................................. 6 Private vehicle use ............................................................................................................................... 7 Park & Ride .......................................................................................................................................... 7 Cycling .................................................................................................................................................. 8 Walking ................................................................................................................................................ 8 Economy & Planning ..............................................................................................................................10 Harnessing an opportunity ................................................................................................................10 Intercity connectivity .........................................................................................................................10 New development .............................................................................................................................10 Commuter economy ..........................................................................................................................11 A home for business ..........................................................................................................................12 Foundational and agglomeration economies ....................................................................................12 The Market.........................................................................................................................................13 Night-time economy ..........................................................................................................................13 Public Space ...........................................................................................................................................14 Environment ......................................................................................................................................14 The riverfront .....................................................................................................................................14 Culture ...............................................................................................................................................14 Safety and security.............................................................................................................................15 Conclusion ..............................................................................................................................................16 Step-change, sustainability, ambition ...............................................................................................16 About this report ...................................................................................................................................17 2 Ambitious for Newport A fresh approach to politics This report was written out of a desire to constructively engage with local government in Newport on an issue of great importance to all citizens. It is also a rejection of the type of politics which focuses on tribalism and the ridiculous idea that political opponents are not only misguided, but malicious in their policy making. No one political party has ever had a monopoly of either good ideas or commitment to improving their community and country. If the public see politics as the combat sport suggested by the format of Prime Minister’s Questions or the press release expressing “outrage” in the local media, then the way we do politics itself is fuelling the deeply unpleasant polarised aggression which has infiltrated the wider political discourse. This alternative Masterplan addresses one specific topic in a constructive manner. Even if the ideas within it play a part in changing Newport, it will not transform the way in which we discuss policy making. Nonetheless, perhaps it will play a part in setting a better tone. Introduction In January 2018, Newport City Council published a Newport City Centre Masterplan. The eight-page document was put out to consultation and there was media coverage of the low response rate. However, I did respond. In addition to answering the questions posed in the consultation, I made an offer to engage further in the production of the next version of the Masterplan. It would not be normal practice for the local authority to take up such an offer, so it was both reasonable and no surprise when this did not happen. The consultation process closed in the Spring. As of October 2018, there had been no report on the results of consultation, nor updated Masterplan proposals. In light of this, I decided to prepare this document. It is not an attempt to criticise or undermine the City Council’s Masterplan. Rather, it offers constructive ideas which they could adopt. I hope it will be read in that spirit. Parameters This report is written from a policy perspective. Implementing its ideas would require significant technical and specialist expertise. Without access to the budget details of Newport City Council, it is impossible to fully cost proposals. Where recommendations are made, I have tried to be realistic in their ambition and pragmatic in the timescale it may take to realise them. The Council’s Masterplan was also imprecise about costings. Two options existed regarding the format for writing this report. One was to stay as close as possible to the Council’s Masterplan; however, that would be an artificial constraint. The canvas for this alternative Masterplan is not an existing document but the city itself. As a result, I have adopted the second option, with a looser reference to the format of the original document, and this extends to geographical coverage. The Council’s Masterplan approximately stretched from Harlequin Roundabout in the north to the southern end of Lower Dock Street in the south. At its furthest point west, the area extended to marginally beyond the railway station and to the east only extended beyond Corporation Road to include Clarence Place. While much of the focus will be on how to 3 develop the city centre as an economic agglomeration hub, to do so accurately it is necessary to discuss the city as a whole. Objective The purpose of this alternative Masterplan is not simply to improve Newport, but to create a radical step-change which would alter the current order of cities in Wales and the Severn Region. If one continues to view Newport as of secondary importance to its neighbours, then that outlook will become self-fulfilling. At the same time, our neighbouring cities are also our partners on the world stage, attracting investment, tourism and major events to the area. Newport should continue to be an active member of Cardiff Capital Region and seek to build upon the Great Western Cities report through closer working with Bristol and the West of England city region. The aim of developing an upwardly-mobile Newport is not to out-Cardiff Cardiff or try to replicate Bristol. Neither is realistic or desirable. What Newport must do is be bold in its own distinctive ambition. When Rotterdam was rebuilt after the devastation it suffered in World War Two, it did not seek to create a copy of Amsterdam, beautiful as that city is. It took the bold step to create something new, fresh and complementary to the other cities of the Netherlands. While the scale of the city may be different, the spirit with which the continuing development of Rotterdam is under-pinned is something Newport should embrace. It is not the intention of this report to comment upon the Council’s Masterplan. That opportunity was taken during the consultation period. That said, it is worth considering an alternative to the vision statement as this sets the tone for the rest of the document. The City Council proposed: “a revitalised and vibrant heart for the city with a strong and independent identity that is rooted in Newport’s history and is