The past year has seen some major changes take place in Newport.
Millions of pounds have been spent restoring some of the city's most historic monuments and attractions. Work is nearing completion on both the Market Arcade and Newport Market, while talks are ongoing on the major revamp of the Transporter Bridge and a new leisure centre to replace Newport Centre.
The former sorting office on Mill Street is now an office hub while the new footbridge over the train station was installed in December last year ahead of its summer opening. We've even got Wales' first drive-thru Greggs - read more about that here.
Read more: You can find more Newport stories here.
Some exciting new developments are also well underway including the 130-bed luxury Mercure hotel and housing projects at the former Llanwern steelworks, Jubilee Park and the old Caerleon campus are providing much-needed housing in one of Wales' fastest growing areas.
Last week Newport City Council revealed it was considering a 3.7% rise in council tax in its proposed budget for the 2022/23 financial year. The budget also includes pledges to invest £8 million for schools and education and further investment in preventative and support services.
The council has committed to invest millions of pounds to further improve Newport in 2022 - here are the major projects they want to spend money on and how much they will cost.
Figures and information are taken from the council's proposed budget for 2022/2023, which is currently out for public consultation before a final decision is made in February.
Information station
Plans were unveiled in February last year to relocate council services from the Information Station at the old Newport railway station to the library and museum in John Frost Square.
Services including housing and council tax benefits, business rates, social services, child protection, access to supported employment, business rates and blue badges will all be relocated to the new site, with the library, museum and art gallery to operate from the east half of the building.
In its proposed budget the council said work was due to begin in the last quarter of 2021, with more than £1.2 million to be spent in the next financial year to complete the project.
2022/23 budget: £1,224,000
Replacing old buses
The council has spent £2.2 million in 2021/22 on its fleet replacement programme for bus services and is due to spend over £1.2 million more on the project in 2022/23.
2022/23 budget: £1,249,000
A second recycling centre
There are plans to open a second household waste recycling centre (HWRC) in Newport, though its opening date and location have not yet been revealed.
In its budget the council said opening a second centre "supports the corporate plan and the waste strategy" of the council. Around £300,000 has been pledged over the next two financial years according to the budget.
2022/23 budget: £125,000
Roads
There will be funding in place towards the council's annual investment in roads infrastructure around the city.
2022/23 budget: £463,000
Welsh medium primary school
Newport council has pledged to open a Welsh medium primary school for several years, and it opened on the former Lodge Hill site in Caerleon in September 2021 as a seedling school with a capacity of 444.
The school will open with a nursery and reception class in the first year with a further year group added every year until it reaches capacity. A 10 place learning resource base will open in the school in September 2023 and is anticipated to be full upon opening.
As part of the plans the council will spend more than £2 million in the next financial year including £289,000 more than was initially planned.
2022/23 budget: £2,078,000
More recycling collections
Recycling has been a major bone of contention in Newport during the pandemic, with mixed views on the decision to move the city's household recycling centre in Maesglas to appointment-only.
And with so many people flooding into the city to live and work, the council is pledging to invest more than £150,000 this year "to accommodate the housing growth across the city".
2022/23 budget: £153,000
Free school meals
The massive impact of the pandemic on job security has made the provision of free school meals a lifeline for hundreds of thousands of families across Wales and the UK.
In November 2020 the UK government reversed its decision to scrap free dinners in schools after outcry from the public and a spirited campaign led by footballer Marcus Rashford.
Newport Council will put nearly £1 million to meet increased uptake across all year groups in 2022/23.
2022/23 budget: £883,000
Homelessness
The council said the Welsh Government directive at the start of the pandemic to ensure there were no rough sleepers in Newport "becomes a pressure" once the government's hardship fund ends at the end of the financial year. It has pledged funding to help alleviate homelessness in the city while it remains in talks over further funding support from the Welsh Government.
Budget 2022/23: £733,000
Medieval ship
In 2002 during the construction of the Riverfront Theatre, archaeologists discovered the remains of a 15th century sailing vessel preserved in mud in a riverbank.
Since then, the council has hoped to display the ship in a prominent place, but this has yet to happen due to the complex process involved in reassembling the ship.
So far conservation and study of the ship, which was estimated to be over 30 metres in length and was thought to have carried 200 tonnes of wine in one voyage, has taken place and efforts are ongoing to put the pieces together so it can be displayed.
It is hoped the project will be a major tourist attraction when it is ready, although that is probably a few years off.
Budget 2022/23: £4,000
Car parking
In March 2021 plans to build 12 'modular flats' for the homeless on the Hill Street pay and display car park were revealed.
The council has leased part of the site to Lync Cymru for the temporary accommodation, and is set to invest more than £30,000 to make the project happen.
Budget 2022/23: £34,000
Investment in schools
Newport's multi-million pound investment in schools as part of its 21st Century Schools and Colleges Programme will continue this year. Band B of the project includes new facilities for Ysgol Gyfun Gwent Is Coed, Bassaleg School, Caerleon Comprehensive School and the provision of a new primary school on the Whiteheads development site in Pillgwenlly.
Budget 2022/23: £45,702,000
Carnegie Court emergency river works
In 2020/21 the council spent more than £1 million on flood defences to areas which sustained damaged from Storm Dennis in February 2020.
This includes Carnegie Court, located on the banks of the river, where residents were awoken by flooding in February that year. The damage left at least one family homeless.
Budget 2022/23: £167,000
St Andrews school
Repairs are ongoing to St Andrew's Primary School which was closed for two years due to a "significant structural issue" in March 2021.
Budget 2022/23: £365,000
Peterstone sewage scheme
Newport council is also advancing its proposals to build a pumping station to connect some homes in nearby Peterstone to the main sewer system.
Budget 2022/23: £152,000
Tredegar Park cycle improvements
More than £100,000 has been spent on improvements to cycle areas in Tredegar Park and work is set to continue in the next financial year.
Budget 2022/23: £35,000
Nature investment
The council is to make a number of investments in natural sites including Monkey Island (the former Orb steelworks landfill site), Shaftesbury allotments and the old Tredegar golf course.
Budget 2022/23: £115,000
Cardiff City Region Deal
The Cardiff Capital Region (CCR) City Deal is a programme agreed in 2016 between the UK Government, the Welsh Government and the 10 local authorities in south east Wales to bring about economic growth in the region through investment, upskilling, and improved physical and digital connectivity.
The deal involves councils contributing at least £120 million over the next 20 years, and Newport council is set to step up its investment with a budget of nearly £8 million this year.
2022/23 budget: £7,998,000
Disabled facilities
There is likely to be further investment in facilities for those with disabilities around the city this year, part of a budget of around £5 million between 2018 and 2025.
2022/23 budget: £1,122,000
Childcare - Flying Start
Flying Start is a Welsh Government programme available in certain areas to support families with children aged 0-3 years.
It promotes language, cognitive, social and emotional skills, physical development and health support, parenting groups, early language support and free part-time childcare.
The programme runs in parts of Allt-yr-yn, Alway, Bettws, Duffryn, Gaer, Lliswerry, Maesglas, Maindee, Malpas, Pillgwenlly, Ringland and Somerton, and has proven popular with parents in Newport.
2022/23 budget: £195,000
Investment in renewable energy
Newport council will also step up its investment in renewable energy this year, with more than £1.5 million to be spent - a huge rise on just £150,000 spent in 2021/22.
Budget 2022/23: £1,577,000
A public consultation on the Newport City Council proposed budget is now underway and will run until Friday, February 11. Further information and the opportunity to have your say is available here.
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