Newport Placemaking Plan for Newport City Council, Welsh Government and the people of Newport with Stride Treglown and Cowshed

Newport Placemaking Plan for Newport City Council, Welsh Government and the people of Newport with Stride Treglown and Cowshed

Newport Placemaking Plan is an exciting collaboration where local voices are helping shape a revitalised city centre. As part of Welsh Government’s Transforming Towns Programme, the Plan reflects the people of Newport’s vision to create a thriving, welcoming centre that builds on the city’s rich history. It sets out to build on strong foundations, celebrate what’s good, and address what needs attention.

 

 

Describe the context of the strategy, research or policy. What need does it serve? What questions does it answer? What is its social and environmental impact? 

 

With two thirds of Wales’s population living in towns or cities with more than 10,000 people, successful urban environments are vital to Wales’ environmental, economic, social, and cultural wellbeing. They create a sense of belonging and identity where people meet, shop, live and work. But due to local and national pressures, some of Wales’s town centres are in decline. In response, Welsh Government requires all towns and cities across Wales to have a Placemaking Plan. Newport currently faces an uphill battle. Negative perceptions, high crime and anti-social behaviour rates, vacant property and absent landlords have left the city suffering with a lack of self-belief. The Newport Placemaking Plan sets out a 15-year strategy to revitalise Newport city centre, responding to long-term retail decline and the impacts of changing behaviours and the new role of city centres. It aims to reposition Newport as a cultural and historic hub, instilling civic pride while attracting residents, visitors, and investment.
 
The plan calls for collective action between communities, businesses, and local authorities to strengthen trust and co-deliver 18 interventions. It asks how Newport can define a vibrant and diverse identity, and what tools can empower local groups to lead positive change. Importantly, the plan incorporates ‘quick win’ early interventions in the next 0 to 2 years whilst setting the stage for medium and long-term interventions, leading to a bold and aspirational vision in 2040. It focuses heavily on people and community, civic pride, identity, safety, and vibrancy.

 

Did you consult key stakeholders or the community in the creation of this document or policy? How did you select participants? Was the final strategy shared with the community? Is this engagement ongoing?

 

When creating the plan, we aimed to map out Newport’s unique identity—its history, challenges, and strengths. The goal was to build a strong, clear picture of how the city functions in different ways, to different people. We deployed several engagement methods to gather thoughts from a wide diversity of participants.
 
First, we asked local people, businesses, and stakeholders to share what they love about their city and crucially, what’s missing. Over the summer of 2024, we connected with over 1,700 people through digital surveys, public face-to-face engagement and focus groups. We made sure to identify key community groups to include in our engagements, including older adults, young people and BAME groups. The gathered insights became the basis for the next stage of engagement, where we aimed to gauge the popularity and feasibility of community suggestions. ‘60 Big Ideas for Newport’, a collection of suggestions from the public, community organisations, steering group and design team, was sent out in the form of an online ‘dating app-style’ platform, allowing residents to swipe right on the ideas they were most inspired by. Approximately 850 respondents participated, representing a significant increase from previous approaches. We also hosted an engagement session in the city centre where approximately 100 more people (ages 8-80) gave their feedback.

 

18 of the 60 ideas have now been shortlisted and sorted into short, medium, and long-term actions. The short-term actions are currently being implemented — led by local communities and artists across the city with support from Newport City Council.

 

How will the research or strategy be taken forward or implemented? Please describe any accountability, metrics or enforcement built into the process to encourage meaningful change.

 

Each of the short, medium, and long-term interventions in the plan has a distinct brief, funding pathway and delivery partners. Endorsed by the Design Commission for Wales and Welsh Government, the plan defines whether projects are best led by community groups, local authorities, or joint ventures with commercial investors, ensuring responsibility is clear and achievable. Delivery will be coordinated through Newport City Council, supported by a dedicated Place Board to provide oversight and guidance. Depending on scale, projects progress via open tender or targeted appointments, ensuring quality and accountability in procurement while retaining flexibility for community-led initiatives.

18 key performance indicators (KPIs) have been established, measuring social impact (external perception rating, satisfaction rating), cultural significance (number of music venues and events), and economic vitality (footfall, independent businesses, retail occupancy). These KPIs will be published annually and may adapt over time. They will provide measurable data that will help track the progress of placemaking plan, help allocate resources efficiently, identify potential risks, and inform any necessary adjustments. By analysing KPI data, it will be possible to identify areas where the Placemaking Plan may be underperforming. This allows for timely interventions and adjustments to improve outcomes.