ARGUS COMMENT: Retail centre vital for city (From South Wales Argus)
Get involved: Send your photos, video, news & views by texting ARGUS NEWS to 80360 or email
us
ARGUS COMMENT: Retail centre vital for city
1:40pm Monday 3rd November 2008 in Gwent news By South Wales Argus
GIVEN the current financial climate it was inevitable questions would arise over the future of Newport’s £200 million shopping development.
Today the city council aims to try and reassure people that it will do everything it possible can to ensure the Friar’s Walk scheme goes ahead.
And we fully support them.
This development is more important than the many other regeneration projects under way throughout the city.
It will be the catalyst to the city’s reinvention and will put Newport firmly on the retail map.
It’s hard to imagine the city’s future without it Which is why we praise the council today for pledging to do all it can to ensure it goes-ahead even if that means the council making an investment in the scheme itself.
The company behind the scheme, Modus, has not shelved the project unlike other schemes it is involved in so we hope that is another sign that everyone believes in this scheme despite the terrible state of the economy.
We are encouraged by council leader Matthew Evans who insists today that this will happen.
Work was originally expected to start on Friars Walk last year.
It is now hoped workers will be on site in mid to late 2009.
When it does arrive Newport will have a first-class shopping centre to be proud of with good quality shops and restaurants.
It will revive the city and be the spark for further growth.
In such an incredibly difficult financial time it’s hard to see how anything on such a large scale could ever get off the ground.
Which is why we must put our faith in the council when it promises to pull out all the stops to ensure it will go-ahead.
Comments(19)
DG
says...
1:55pm Mon 3 Nov 08
I'm sure we can mange a shopping centre.
goggerboy
says...
2:43pm Mon 3 Nov 08
DG wrote:Don't hold your breath DG and the article mentions shops and restaurants to be proud of I suppose you'll have to wait until the next millenium for a car park to be proud of.
The Golden Gate bridge was built in four years and $1.3 million under budget, during the height of the Great Depression. I'm sure we can mange a shopping centre.
King of the Hill
says...
2:57pm Mon 3 Nov 08
Let's get this into perspective - the Friars Walk scheme is a lot smaller than the one in Bristol and Cardiff. If the retail sector is going to be hit hard, then it will be felt in both neighbouring cities (especially Cardiff, where the wages are far lower than over the river.
Whilst this whole financial debacle is unfolding maybe we should concentrate on other areas of Newport and tidying it up for when the world's media descend in 2010. And, once it's smartened up , let's keep it that way, even if it means increasing our already low council tax rates.
By the way, I do not have any affiliation with the council! I'm just a realist.
If we want excellent services and clean streets, then we must pay for them. That's how it works in other towns and cities. It's not rocket science!
The Truth Is Out There
says...
3:09pm Mon 3 Nov 08
King of the Hill wrote:
What is it with Cwmbran people and their obsession with parking? Must be a real dump if that's all they have to offer!
Let's get this into perspective - the Friars Walk scheme is a lot smaller than the one in Bristol and Cardiff. If the retail sector is going to be hit hard, then it will be felt in both neighbouring cities (especially Cardiff, where the wages are far lower than over the river.
Whilst this whole financial debacle is unfolding maybe we should concentrate on other areas of Newport and tidying it up for when the world's media descend in 2010. And, once it's smartened up , let's keep it that way, even if it means increasing our already low council tax rates.
By the way, I do not have any affiliation with the council! I'm just a realist.
If we want excellent services and clean streets, then we must pay for them. That's how it works in other towns and cities. It's not rocket science!
""King of the Hill wrote:By the way, I do not have any affiliation with the council! I'm just a realist""
--------------------
-----------------
LOL..Realist more like a FANTASIST your living in Cloud Cuckoo Land!!
HerrKarl
says...
3:56pm Mon 3 Nov 08
We need long term manufacturing industries, as we are importing far too much into the country, meaning we spend more than receive. This means we borrow more to pay for these goods.
Besides, I couldn't think of a worse past time than 'shopping'!!
lostinspace
says...
8:22pm Mon 3 Nov 08
HerrKarl wrote:Karl so lets just hypothesise...we build up the manufacturing industry...to sell to the public ..where do the public buy ? from a shop ! Newport badly, desperately needs a re energised shopping centre.
A retail centre is not 'vital' for Newport - that's such a nieve assumption! The excess of service industry businesses is one of the reasons our economy is doing so badly at the moment. We need long term manufacturing industries, as we are importing far too much into the country, meaning we spend more than receive. This means we borrow more to pay for these goods. Besides, I couldn't think of a worse past time than 'shopping'!!
Stonebridge
says...
8:39pm Mon 3 Nov 08
Oh, don't tell me. "Blame the government." *Yawn*. Change the record, mate.
Stonebridge
says...
9:46pm Mon 3 Nov 08
King of the Hill
says...
9:55pm Mon 3 Nov 08
I reckon another 86 myself.
Oh, and I am well and truly aware of the state this country is in, both financially and morally.
RETARD...lilly livered chattering class champagne socialist... RETARD... lilly livered chattering class RETARD socialist etc etc
The Truth Is Out There
says...
9:56pm Mon 3 Nov 08
Stonebridge wrote:YEA WHATEVER YOUR PATHETIC!!!!!!!!!!!!
Nothing if not predictable.
!
The Truth Is Out There
says...
10:51pm Mon 3 Nov 08
King of the Hill wrote:Absolutely PATHETIC you and Stonebridge are away with the FAIRIES in LaLa LAND..
Hahahaha! How many more times will The TruthisOutThere use the phrase 'lilly livered chattering class champagne socialist' this year?
I reckon another 86 myself.
Oh, and I am well and truly aware of the state this country is in, both financially and morally.
RETARD...lilly livered chattering class champagne socialist... RETARD... lilly livered chattering class RETARD socialist etc etc
cyberman
says...
4:42am Tue 4 Nov 08
HerrKarl
says...
8:49am Tue 4 Nov 08
King of the Hill
says...
9:35am Tue 4 Nov 08
King of the Hill
says...
10:34am Tue 4 Nov 08
cyberman wrote:It will change the terrible John Frost Square and riverfront.
we dnt need any more shops in newport spend money on our roads hospitals housing shortages whats point of more shops ? aint going to change the state newport is in ,
Unfortunately we live in a consumerist society and will continue to do so, long after the current economic downturn. to think otherwise is simply naive.
Personally, it's not about having new shops, it's about tidying up the mess it's in at the moment.
Lets not forget that the hideous shopping development in Cardiff is far bigger and, in my opinion, completely unnecessary. The town centre already has plenty of shops for such a small city and the result will be that the good things about Cardiff (the markets and independent shops) will be forced to close through increased rent - resulting in Cardiff becoming just another faceless town centre in Britain. At least Cabot Circus has some character to it, St Davids 2 looks like it was designed by a blind dog.
DG
says...
11:33am Tue 4 Nov 08
Incidentally, it was the lily-livered chattering classes who invented the phrase "champagne socialist"...
South Wales Argus
says...
11:35am Tue 4 Nov 08
groucho1
says...
11:50am Tue 4 Nov 08
King of the Hill
says...
12:04pm Tue 4 Nov 08
I have to say that, as an outsider who moved here about five years ago, the most depressing aspect of this city is the people who seem to live for pessimism and make no effort to look for the positives that Newport has to offer (the parks, nature reserves, historical buildings etc).
Now, I think Cardiff is highly overrated as a 'cosmopolitan city' (it isn't, by a long shot) but at least the people have a sense of pride in their city!
I find it extremely sad that it takes someone from over the border to have to defend a city, even to its own people!
Anyway, back to the depressing posts…
Comment now! Register or sign in below.
Log in with us
Fields marked with * are mandatory.
Or
Log in with