A COMMUNITY STRATEGY FOR *NEWPORT - BUILDING OUR FUTURE TOGETHER 2005 - 2015 Design: blacksheep.info +44 (0)29 2049 0722 A COMMUNITY STRATEGY FOR NEWPORT 3* - BUILDING OUR FUTURE TOGETHER 2005-2015 http://citypartners.newport.ac.uk CONTENTS PART ONE INTRODUCTION 4 NEWPORT PAST AND PRESENT 6 NATIONAL STRATEGIC PRIORITIES 8 ABOUT COMMUNITY STRATEGIES AND COMMUNITY PLANNING 12 PART TWO VISION AND PRIORITIES FOR THE FUTURE NEWPORT IN 2015 16 AN ACCESSIBLE CITY 18 AN ATTRACTIVE CITY 20 AN ENTERPRISING CITY 22 A GREENER CITY 24 A HEALTHY CITY 26 AN INCLUSIVE CITY 28 A LEARNING CITY 30 A SAFER CITY 32 MONITORING AND REVIEW 34 The Community Strategy has been prepared by Newport’s Local Strategic Partnership. The following are members of the partnership: Newport City Council Gwent Police Newport Local Health Board University of Wales, Newport Newport Unlimited Newport and Gwent Chamber Communities First Overarching Partnership South East Wales Racial Equality Council Newport Voluntary Sector Liaison Committee This document is also available in a number of other formats including as an audio tape and Word document and in a number of community languages. A COMMUNITY For more information please contact the corporate policy STRATEGY FOR offi ce at Newport City Council on 01633 232003 *NEWPORT or email [email protected] - BUILDING OUR FUTURE TOGETHER 4* PART ONE* 1. INTRODUCTION A COMMUNITY STRATEGY FOR *NEWPORT - BUILDING OUR FUTURE TOGETHER The principal aim is to make the city a better place to live, work and visit and the strategy’s vision sets out what it should be like. 5* The early years of the Gaining city status in 2002 environment for living and new millennium have further elevated Newport’s working. Furthermore the found Newport at the profile and has provided people of Newport have turning point between new opportunities that we demonstrated their ability to its traditional industrial hope will act as a catalyst for adapt and embrace economic past, and the challenge of change. change. There is every regeneration, economic reason for optimism about diversification and finding As Wales’ ‘gateway city’ the future, however a planned a distinct new identity. Newport is strategically and coordinated approach positioned on the M4 will help us capitalise fully on Newport has all the key corridor between the the opportunities that arise. ingredients needed for Welsh capital Cardiff and recovery and regeneration Bristol. The city benefits The following Community - not just of the city but also from main line rail links, a Strategy presents the vision throughout the surrounding major port, modern business for the future, which local area. infrastructure, extensive people have helped us broadband capability, an identify, and sets out the key Both the Welsh Assembly expanding University and actions and ways of working Government and the Welsh notable tourist attractions. that will help secure success. Development Agency More than 2/3 of the county The principal aim is to make stress the importance of borough of Newport is the city a better place to Newport’s role as the centre countryside and green spaces live, work and visit and the for economic growth for within the city provide a strategy’s vision sets out the Gwent sub-region. pleasant and healthy what it should be like. 6* PART ONE* 2. NEWPORT PAST AND PRESENT A COMMUNITY Newport is the newest city in has progressed, various social STRATEGY FOR *NEWPORT Wales and throughout its problems have intensified. Four of - BUILDING OUR history it has been an Newport’s electoral wards feature FUTURE TOGETHER important urban centre. within the list of Wales’ one Newport encompasses hundred most deprived wards and Caerleon, one of Roman a further six sub-wards qualify Britain’s most prominent army for funding under the Assembly bases and the area remained a Government’s Communities First key military centre for many programme. years. The 2001 Census showed Growth accelerated during the Newport ranking below the rest industrial revolution establishing of the UK in several key social a longstanding reputation for and economic indicators, for steel production. By the first example, unemployment rates half of the 19th century, Newport were currently just above the had grown to be the principal national average, with a greater town of South Wales with wealth number of Newport citizens surpassing Cardiff and Swansea suffering from a limiting, long- combined. At the time of its term illness. completion the Old Town Dock was the biggest in Europe during Fortunately Newport has proved the heyday of shipping. Rapid to be adaptable and resilient industrial growth inevitably securing high levels of investment resulted in social pressures in modern growth sectors of the and led to a surge in political economy. consciousness. The Chartists’ uprising in 1839 would seal * Over the last decade Newport Newport’s place in British political has seen more than £3 billion history marking a turning point of private investment and in the spread of democracy. created over ten thousand jobs primarily in high technology The dominance of heavy industry and service industries, with and particularly steel production figures showing that the daily characterised the local economy inflow of commuters is second throughout the 19th and 20th only to Cardiff century however more recently within Wales. Newport has felt the effects of plant closures and downsizing * There have been encouraging typical of post-industrialisation. rates for the start up of new businesses, with Newport RECENT TRENDS ranking amongst the top five As the decline of traditional locations in the UK for business employment across South Wales formation. These positive trends and 7* indicators of ongoing economic success can be linked directly to Newport’s strategic location, excellent communication links and skilled, flexible workforce. Population - The age structure of the population of Newport broadly reflects wider trends evident in Wales and the UK. People are tending to live longer although the birth rate and average family Newport has size is decreasing. In the last decade overseas immigration proved to be and increased life expectancy has resulted in moderate population adaptable and growth in the UK and a similar pattern is evident locally for resilient Newport. Work – The 2001 census shows significant inequalities in employment and attainment of qualifications across Wales. As a major employment centre and regional economic hub, the numbers of people in paid employment in the city compared – highest level of population with that their health was “not good” a well against the other Welsh degree or higher). figure close to the Welsh average councils with Newport being of 12.4%. ranked as having the seventh Limiting long term illness, and highest level of employment. permanently sick or disabled Ethnicity – The population - According to the 2001 census, of Newport was found to be However, the census also 21.6% of the Newport population made up of 95.2% white people highlighted that the city has a were found to be living with a and 4.8% people from minority significant number of people who long-term limiting illness a large ethic groups. This is a higher are ‘available for work’ and who increase of 6% from 15.6% in 1991 proportion than the minority are classified as either unemployed and ranking Newport at 14 out ethnic population of Wales as a or long term unemployed. of the 22 authorities (rank one whole (2.1%). Indeed Newport was ranked as – highest level of illness). This having the fifth highest levels of compares with the figure of 18.2% Newport ranked as having the unemployed and eighth highest for England and Wales, and 23.3% second largest minority ethnic number of long term unemployed for Wales. population of the Welsh councils people in Wales. after Cardiff. Figures for numbers of The percentage of the population permanently sick or disabled The minority ethnic population with no qualifications was people indicate that 7.9% of has increased from 3.5% in recorded at 33.6% positioning people fell into this category, 1991 to 4.8% in 2001 and is Newport at nine in Wales ranking Newport 15 out of the 22 characterised by a comparatively (rank one – lowest level of authorities. young population distribution, qualifications). The percentage contrasting with the general trend of the population with a degree An additional new census question towards an ageing of the wider or higher was 16.8%, making asking about state of health population. Newport 13 in Wales (rank one indicate that 12% of people stated 8* PART ONE* 3. NATIONAL STRATEGIC PRIORITIES A COMMUNITY STRATEGY FOR *NEWPORT - BUILDING OUR FUTURE TOGETHER The vision set down in ‘Wales: A Better Country’ should pave the way for a more sustainable future 9* The Welsh Assembly The vision set down in ‘Wales: A Better Country’ Government sets the strategic should pave the way for a more sustainable future agenda for social and economic based on: policy in Wales. In 2000 the Assembly Government * Promoting a diverse, competitive, high added value published its first strategic economy, with high quality skills and education, plan - Betterwales.com. that minimises demands on the environment This document has heavily influenced the work of the * Action on social justice that tackles poverty public services and voluntary and poor health, and provides people and their sector agencies. communities with the means to help themselves and break out of the poverty trap To mark the start of its second