00:01Newport City Centre has certainly seen better days.
00:04Closed shops, locals complaining of anti-social behaviour,
00:07litter and an overall lack of football on the high street
00:10have all been issues for some time.
00:12The promise of Friars Walk bringing people to town
00:15definitely had an impact at one stage,
00:17but in recent years the closure of Debenhams in particular
00:20has been just one of a number of problems.
00:22Council have now said that they want to take action
00:24with a number of different measures
00:26hoping to bring long and short-term benefits
00:28to people visiting the city centre.
00:30With events like the Issefa Earth
00:32come into the city in just a few years time
00:34which will bring thousands of people to Newport,
00:36councillors say that while Newport does have its problems
00:39it has just as many opportunities too.
00:41In the longer term the council have said
00:43they want a regeneration of the town centre
00:45with opposition and critics calling for a large open space
00:48towards the south end of Commercial Street
00:50that can host concerts throughout the year.
00:52There have also been calls for Newport's famous medieval ship
00:55to feature more prominently
00:57and make it more of a destination for tourists
00:59considering its remarkable history and impact on the city.
01:02It's currently open to the public
01:04towards the outskirts of town on an industrial estate.
01:07Short-term plans for the city centre
01:09include an outdoor food market overlooking the River Usk
01:12and wrapping disused shop fronts
01:14with brightly coloured material and artwork
01:16in an effort to improve the visual nature of the city.
01:19Local artists will also be given more opportunities
01:21to display their work around the centre
01:23and there is hope to build a playground for children
01:25in the centre too, targeted at making the city
01:27a family-friendly place to visit.
01:29The longer-term aspects of the plans are unclear as of yet
01:32but short-term ideas like the playground and outdoor market
01:35have been welcomed by opposition councillors.
01:37Newport is in need of something
01:39and the council hope that this is exactly that.
01:41James Peach Watkins reporting for Local TV.
01:43reporting for Local TV.
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