THE next Mayor of Newport has said he wants to put the city back on the map for the right reasons – amid big changes for the role.

Conservative Councillor Martyn Kellaway was chosen as the city's next mayor at a council meeting last month.

He will take on the role in May after the council election – if he is re-elected as the ward member for Llanwern.

Cllr Kellaway grew up in Barry before moving to Newport and has been a councillor for the past 15 years.

Alongside his role Cllr Kellaway works in the catering industry and began his career as a chef at British Steel in 1987.

Due to personal reasons, the charities he wants to support include Mind Cymru, and dementia-focused charities.

Additionally, the future mayor wants to improve Newport’s social scene by encouraging more restaurants and local food producers to come to the city.

Cllr Kellaway said: “Historically, Newport is rural and there are some brilliant farmers here who can contribute locally.”

Cllr Kellaway will be the first mayor to take on a newly-revamped role, after the council decided to introduce a presiding officer role in May.

The presiding officer will chair full council meetings – a responsibility currently held by the mayor.

When asked about this decision, Cllr Kellaway said he could see “positives and negatives” to the introduction of the role.

He added: “I have been chair of governors at Llanmartin School for the past 12 years, so chairing meetings isn’t something that I was concerned about.”

The council said the decision to introduce a presiding officer was to “professionalise” the role of chairing meetings and take the pressure off the mayor.

Meanwhile, Newport City Council has put in a formal bid to upgrade the role of mayor to Lord Mayor – a status currently possessed by Swansea and Cardiff.

Cllr Kellaway said: “I want to take Newport forward, not politically, but in what it really means to be a Newportian.”

He will replace fellow Conservative councillor David Williams as mayor.