Challenge as Newport town blueprint created

The Newport town plan is the result of two years of work by a steering group and the final 64-page document has now been presented to town politicians, businesses and organisations.

It covers issues such as transport, recycling, sport and leisure and policing to guide local authorities in their policy making.

Ideas include pushing the reopening of the town's recycling centre, increasing police presence in the town and better facilities for sports clubs including Newport Town Football Club and Newport Cycling Club.

The plan shows residents were not against homes being built in and around the town but were more concerned about the volume and how suitable they were. For the retail scene, residents said they wanted to see a low-cost supermarket such as Aldi or Lidl and supported developing a choice of shops in the town centre.

The plan is based on findings of the town questionnaire which was sent to 5,500 homes in Newport and received a 26 per cent response rate. It is hoped the survey will be repeated every four years to keep the town plan up to date.

Lawrie Boardman, chairman of the steering group, said: "Our message now is the town must step up to the challenge. An awful lot of work has gone into this and the next stage, and it is now for the town council and Telford & Wrekin Council to look at it and make things happen. We need to get a quick win and that would give the town plan a life of its own."

He added: "The plan is actually the voice of the people and my message is for councillors to listen to the residents of the town because this is who you represent."

Newport-based borough councillor Peter Scott said: "This gives me as a councillor a mandate to take issues forward to people who can change things and say this is what people of Newport want. In some respects none of this new but it is now in black and white and it means we can go to the people who can make the decisions and say this is what people want."

Nick Jeggo, chairman of Newport Cycle Club, said: "There was a lot of really positive stuff in there. Provided in future councillors do take notice of what is in there I think it could be really good for the town. They recognised a need for better cycling facilities and safer cycling in the town, so we were very pleased."

Councillor Kuldip Sahota will be meeting Newport residents next Friday at Newport Library, High Street, from 10am until noon.

He said: "Hearing residents' views is vital and meeting people face-to-face at these sessions offers people the chance to do that."