Regeneration plans for Newport in Wales have been boosted by its recent hosting of The Ryder Cup, according to the chief executive of the city’s urban regeneration company, reports ‘Regeneration & Renewal’ magazine.
Newport Unlimited chief executive Gareth Beer said the ongoing regeneration of the town had received a huge boost from being the focus of the biennial tournament, which took place earlier this month at the Celtic Manor Resort, attracting an estimated 45,000 visitors on each of its four days.
Beer said: “The next stage of our plan is to build a major shopping centre in the town. To this end, we have entertained senior figures from property, development and investment companies – people who might not have otherwise visited the town.”
He said that, since the resort won its 2001 bid to host the Ryder Cup, the deadline had given a sharper focus to projects funded by £150 million of regeneration investment since 2003, when Newport Unlimited was set up. These included improvements to the train station and a widening of a stretch of the M4 motorway.
Beer added that local businesses had won contracts to redevelop the resort’s golf course and provide associated services, providing a boost for future growth.
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