Is Newport city centre really “in transition”, or has it declined?

Was Cllr Mudd right or wrong?

Speaking at a full council meeting in March 2024, Cllr Mudd went on the defensive about the city centre, highlighting various future projects, as well as the newly refurbished Indoor Market and Market Arcade.

She also spoke about the discretionary rate relief scheme introduced for the city centre - a good scheme which remains in place today.

Yes, there are positives. Clearly, there are positives.

But there is also reality.

Cllr Mudd briefly said: “I see challenges. I see issues.”

Two short sentences, delivered within a split second.

Was this a rare admission that there were genuine problems?

So, what “challenges” did Cllr Mudd see in the city centre?

What “issues” did our then council leader recognise?

Cllr Mudd continued: “Is it in decline or is it in transition? I would challenge that perspective and I would say it is a city centre in transition.”

So, was our former council leader right or wrong?

Has Newport’s city centre transitioned for the better - or for the worse?

How many more times are we going to hear Labour politicians tell us that Newport is “a city on the rise”?

Is the city centre forever “in transition”?

After 14 years of Labour running the council, the repeated regurgitation of the same upbeat messaging is failing to land as it once did.

The Labour spin and PR simply isn’t cutting through anymore.

Friars Walk opened in November 2015 to huge fanfare and excitement.

It was supposed to represent a new dawn for the city.

Yet within three years, Newport was being reported as having the highest number of empty shop units of any town or city in the UK.

Since then, M&S Foodhall, River Island, Cineworld, Pierre Bistro, Chiquito, Gourmet Burger Kitchen, Mission Burrito, and TGI Fridays have all gone — with their former units still empty.

Only a small part of the enormous former Debenhams store is occupied.

Even today, the council continues to talk up projects while failing to address the basics at street level.

I’ve always said this.

Anti-social behaviour remains an ongoing problem.

Yes, there has been an improvement following Operation Krypton, but recent incidents demonstrate that the problem hasn’t disappeared entirely.

And it isn’t just the anti-social behaviour.

When will the council properly invest in basic infrastructure improvements?

Look at Swansea.

More than £12 million has been spent upgrading Wind Street and Castle Square since the pandemic - improving the basic infrastructure and appearance of these areas at street level.

Perhaps Newport needs less spin, fewer grand promises and more attention to the basics.

Michael Enea is a Conservative campaigner and blogger