One Newport – Working to Improve the City
Posted November 2018
One Newport, the city’s Public Service Board (PSB), has published a report that looks back on the work of the partnership over the last five years.
In 2013, the PSB agreed a Single Integrated Plan (SIP) for Newport that set out a vision for improving the city and a common agenda for improvement in the key strategic areas of economy and skills, health and well-being and safe and cohesive communities. It has served as a focus for collaborative working, has drawn together the One Newport partners and concentrated their efforts on improving key outcomes for local people.
Councillor Debbie Wilcox, Chair of One Newport and Leader of Newport City Council, said: “Welsh Government set out their expectations of how partners within local authority areas should work together, but I am extremely proud of how Newport grasped that challenge and through close joint working has really made a difference for our residents.”
Achievements highlighted in the report include:
- City Centre regeneration
Considerable progress has been made in regenerating the city centre, particularly during a time when development has stalled elsewhere. Newport now boasts award-winning retail and leisure developments, new landmark buildings, major housebuilding growth and modern infrastructure.
- Improving skills
The skills levels of our population are improving and high-level qualifications are now better than the Wales rate. The number of young people who are not in education, employment or training has recorded the biggest reduction in Wales.
One Newport also oversaw the establishment of the Work Based Learning Academy, which tackles unemployment, and skills development, runs job fairs, supports developers and businesses to recruit and arranges work experience and placements.
- Health and wellbeing
Newport now benefits from a much-expanded active travel network that allows people to walk, cycle and run safely. The Smoke Free Newport initiative is safeguarding people’s health in outdoor public spaces and was one of the first of its kind in Wales. Projects including Dementia Friends, Living Well Living Longer and the Breastfeeding Welcome Premises Scheme are now well established and contributing to the wellbeing of the city’s youngest and oldest residents alike.
- Safe and cohesive communities
Support agencies which work together to deliver a joined-up approach for victims of domestic abuse are now jointly housed in Newport Library.
Preventative activities that aim to reduce anti-social behaviour, including Operation Bang during Halloween and Bonfire Night, Positive Futures sports activities, Operation Ash to reduce deliberate fire setting and the NP20 creative arts project, are leading to a significant drop in reported offences.
In 2017, three Newport primary schools set up the first Mini Police projects in Wales, to improve community engagement and relations between Gwent Police and families.
Following public disturbances in Pillgwenlly, One Newport launched a major multi-agency response, which has included high profile police operations, granting of new Public Spaces Protection Order powers, increased public engagement and six action days to date.
What next?
A new local well-being plan for 2018-2023 has been developed and sets out the PSB's priorities and actions for the next five years. It includes local well-being objectives, priorities and steps that the board proposes to take to meet the objectives and will act as the main work-plan and focus of the PSB.
Councillor Wilcox added: “Much still remains to be done and I am mindful that Newport has some of the most deprived communities in Wales. However, there is also a great deal to be positive about as we move towards a new era through the new well-being plan. The work on the SIP has provided a firm foundation for the future and paved the way for even stronger collaboration which can only be a positive thing for Newport.”
See the SIP Performance page to access the SIP Annual Report.