OUR interview earlier this week with Simon Gibson, the businessman heading the Welsh Government’s Newport city centre taskforce, stirred up something of a hornets’ nest.

Leaving aside the usual negative contributions by those who simply moan about everything but never offer any solutions, there was an interesting debate on our website about Mr Gibson’s views.

In a nutshell, Mr Gibson said the future of the city could not depend on the construction of the Friars Walk shopping centre. He said Newport needed a big vision and a major regeneration project. He said the city needs to play on its status as a centre of excellence for the technology industry, and that he wanted to see more people living and working in the city centre.

Mr Gibson is no mug. In his business career he has been there, done that, and got the T-shirt to prove it.

I have met him once, but during a long conversation about Newport and its future I was impressed by his forthright style and his passion for the city.

One of Newport’s failings in recent years has been an abundance of talkers and a dearth of doers. Mr Gibson strikes me as a doer.

He will undoubtedly ruffle a few feathers in the establishment over the next year. Indeed, he has already done so with his assertion that “politicians have had their go” at solving the city centre’s problems.

That should not be a problem. If a few egos need to be trampled on to get the right result for Newport then so be it.

I’ll be watching the progress of Mr Gibson’s taskforce with interest – as should everyone who wants to see a vibrant and successful city centre in Newport.

Simon Gibson strikes me as a breath of fresh air in a debate that has become tired and drawn-out.

When his taskforce recommends a way forward for Newport next year I hope they get the support they need from those who have “had their go”.

Please save our minor injuries unit

OUR campaign to save the minor injuries unit at Ysbyty Aneurin Bevan in Ebbw Vale is vital.

The huge pressures facing accident and emergency departments at hospitals across the UK have made national headlines this week.

A&E departments in many hospitals are close to collapse. Too many people are going to A&E when they should be seeing their GP or going to a minor injuries unit like the one in Ebbw Vale.

Yet the MIU in Ebbw Vale is under threat of closure because so few people are using it.

We have joined forces with Blaenau Gwent AM Alun Davies to get the message across to local people – if you don’t use the MIU you will lose it.

If the MIU is closed it will simply heap more pressure on the A&E department at Nevill Hall Hospital – and the reason for opening the MIU in the first place was to take some of the workload off Nevill Hall.

Raising awareness of the MIU is a central part of our campaign. We hope the people of Ebbw Vale and the surrounding area begin to take advantage of a fantastic facility on their doorstep.

Honour for your Argus

I’M off to London tomorrow for the annual Regional Press Awards. The Argus is one of just five titles shortlisted for the Daily Newspaper of the Year award.

The nomination is an honour in itself – and a fantastic tribute to the brilliant team of journalists who work in our newsroom – but, of course, we’d love to win.

We’ll post the result on our website tomorrow afternoon.

Fingers crossed.

We also found out this week that the Argus website has been shortlisted for the Best Regional News Website title at this year’s Online Media Awards, which take place in June.

To have our print and online editions recognised at UK-wide awards is some achievement for the Argus and I cannot praise my news and sport teams highly enough.