Work on the £87.3m International Convention Centre Wales in Newport is now well under way and currently 100 tons of British Steel are being delivered to the site each week.

The steel is being used for the framework of the building.

As of the end of August, 55,265 total man hours had been worked on site; 132 local construction workers are currently employed on site; 36,500 cubic metres of soil and material has been shifted; 5,640 tons of concrete has been poured and 390 tons of reinforcements fixed.

Ian Edwards, chief executive of ICC Wales and the Celtic Manor Resort, said: "We’ve just placed two waste tanks underground to service ICC Wales, and we’re very much on schedule for our opening in July 2019."

Sir Terry, chairman of the Celtic Manor Resort, was joined by the First Minister of Wales Carwyn Jones, Stephen Bowcott, chief executive of principal constructor Sisk Group, and Councillor Debbie Wilcox, leader of Newport City Council, to mark the official start of the two year project by symbolically digging soil on the building site’s massive footprint in June this year.

Once complete, ICC Wales will provide total floor space for meetings, conferences, exhibitions and events of 26,000sqm – the equivalent size to nearly four international rugby pitches.

The joint venture between Celtic Manor and Welsh Government, ICC Wales will accommodate 5,000 delegates and includes a 4,000sqm pillar-free main hall, a 1,500 seated auditorium, 12 flexible meeting rooms, a double-height glass atrium and a 2,500sqm outdoor plaza.