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Open Consultations

School admissions policy 2025-26

Closing date: Friday 16 February 2024

We are consulting on school admission arrangements for the 2025/26 academic year.

The arrangements set out:

  • the timetable for making applications for school places
  • the criteria for how places are allocated.

No policy changes are being proposed in this consultation.

Please email your comments to [email protected] by 5pm on the closing date.

View the consultation document. (pdf)

Parks and play improvements

The Parks Team are aiming to improve play areas in Newport. The project has secured funding from the 2022 budget consultations to upgrade play areas to provide children with safe and fun spaces to play.

The project is being undertaken with the input of the community, ensuring that the needs and preferences of local families are considered in the design process through multiple consultations.

View the current consultations


Closed consultations

Annual budget 2024/25

Closing date: 9 February 2024

Newport City Council has considered its budget and set out a number of proposals for delivering services in 2024/25.

Proposals include an 8.5 per cent council tax increase which for the majority of Newport households would mean an increase of between £1.50 and £2.01 per week.

Areas of additional investment include social care, homeless provision and schools.

The demand for social care for both adults and children continues to rise, so £3million is proposed to help manage that demand and provide support for some of our most vulnerable residents.

Likewise, homelessness and the demand for temporary accommodation continues to rise, so an extra £600,000 has been proposed to support the service.

The budget also recognises the pressure on schools and has prioritised significant funds for staff pay, increasing demand resulting from rising pupil numbers, and for support for those with additional learning needs.

All representations made through the public consultation will be considered ahead of the February cabinet meeting when they will make their final recommendations on the overall budget for 2024/25. 

Read the full report and a summary of savings and investments (Item 4).

Read the fairness, equality and impact assessments for the proposals.

House in Multiple Occupation Additional Licensing Scheme

Closing date of consultation: 6 February 2024

Newport City Council is reviewing its House in Multiple Occupation Additional Licensing scheme to see if it should be extended for five years from June 2024. To take part in the House in Multiple Occupation Additional Licensing scheme consultation, please complete our online survey.

View the consultation document. (pdf)

Strategic Equality Plan 2024 - 2028

Closing date: 28 January 2024

Newport City Council is committed to providing equitable services for all residents.  This means treating everyone fairly, considering the needs of residents from all backgrounds.  Our vision is to create a more equal Newport even when faced with increasing challenges.

We are consulting on our new Strategic Equality Plan for 2024-2028 which will build on the work done under our 2020-2024 Strategic Equality Plan.

We would like to know if you agree with our draft objectives and if there is anything else you think we should include. We will use your feedback to help develop our Strategic Equality Plan 2024-2028, to be published in April 2024.

Have your say on rail improvements in Newport 

Transport for Wales are seeking views on proposals for five new railway stations in south-east Wales and new cross-border rail services.

The proposals include three new railway stations for Newport including Llanwern, Somerton and a Newport West station, located in Duffryn.

Residents can view more information about the plans, and share their thoughts, on the Transport for Wales website. The consultation will close on 15 January 2024.

tfw.wales/sew-new-stations

Long Term Empty Homes and Second Homes Consultation

Monday 18 December 2023

Newport City Council is undertaking a consultation exercise about charging a council tax premium on long-term empty properties and second homes in the city.

The city currently has extremely high levels of homelessness and a large amount of the Council’s finances are dedicated to providing short term emergency accommodation. The Welsh Government would allow the Council to hold on to the money raised from these premiums.

At the current time there are more than 800 properties in the city that have been empty for more than 12 months.

Replacement Local Development Plan – Preferred Strategy (Pre-Deposit Plan) 

25 October 2023 – 20 December 2023

As part of the ongoing work preparing the Replacement Local Development Plan (RLDP), we are now seeking your feedback on the proposed Preferred Strategy (Pre-Deposit Plan). 

The Preferred Strategy represents a partial draft of the RLDP, based on the feedback received from previous consultations undertaken and the available evidence base collated to date.

The consultation includes:

  • the scale of homes, jobs and employment proposed
  • the Key Sites and existing allocations identified to support growth
  • the strategic policies to support the delivery of the Vision and Objectives of the RLDP.

Additionally, the Candidate Sites Register, the Initial Integrated Sustainability Appraisal and the Habitats Regulations Assessment Screening Report are also available for comment.

You can find out further information here.

Building a fairer Gwent

The Gwent Marmot report Building a Fairer Gwent: improving health equity and the social determinants by the Institute of Health Equity is now out.

The report discusses the current situation in Gwent where there are significant inequities in health, education, housing, income and employment across local authority areas. 

Also included is a suggested list of measurement indicators and recommendations to help monitor progress of system-wide actions to address health inequalities and improve the social determinants of health in Gwent.

Now that the report is out, Aneurin Bevan University Health Board would like to hear opinions of citizens across Gwent to help embed this work.

One Newport Local Action Plan – Consultation Draft

Closing date of consultation - 31st October 2023

One Newport has been working on a new Local Action Plan which will cover the important work that needs close cooperation and joint working between different organisations including Newport City Council, Aneurin Bevan University Health Board, Gwent Police, Natural Resources Wales.

This plan is consider different aspects of the city that we need to focus on to make Newport a better place now and also for future generations.

In this consultation, we have identified the key themes and actions for partnership working in Newport and we now want to know what you think of our draft Local Action Plan.  

 

For more information on One Newport and the Local Area Action Plan email [email protected].

Draft taxi licensing policy

Closing date of consultation: Monday 22 October 2023

Newport City Council (in its role as licensing authority) has been required to review its Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Licensing  Policy in line with the Department for Transport statuary guidance on taxis

Welsh Government Guidance.

If you wish to make comment regarding the draft policy please do so in writing to [email protected] by the 22 October 2023. If you wish to discuss the Draft Policy with the team please don’t hesitate to contact us.

Draft Policy (pdf)

Market Arcade Public Space Protection Order (PSPO)

Closing date of consulation: 14 September 2023

The Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) for Market Arcade that was introduced in November 2020 is due to expire in November 2023 and we are now consulting with residents to renew the Order. 

Have your say on the new PSPO for Market Arcade

Community Safety Perception Survey

Closing date of consultation: 10 September 2023

Newport City Council, Gwent Police and their Safer Newport partners are working on a Strategic Needs Assessment which will help us understand community safety issues, decide on priorities and what we need to do about them.  To do this we want to hear from local people and this survey will help us understand people’s perceptions about community safety in different settings. We encourage you to complete the survey and to share it, as we want a wide range of views.

This survey will also inform other important strategies including the Council’s strategic equalities plan, and Council spending decisions.

Complete the survey 

Website survey

Newport City Council is looking to improve its online presence. 

As part of this process, we would like to get your thoughts on our current website.

We would appreciate if you could complete the short survey to allow us to build your feedback into any upcoming developments. 

Draft electric vehicle charging points strategy 

We want to hear your views on our plans to increase electric vehicle charging points in Newport.

Around 27 per cent of Newport’s carbon emissions come from transport. Reducing these is a key priority for the council as we aim to become a net zero carbon city by 2050.

To help people make the switch to electric vehicles, it is important that we develop a charging network that meets the needs of our residents and visitors both now and in the future.

We are very interested in learning your views on our draft strategy and what you think we can do to further promote electric car ownership.

Underwood Green Connected Community

Newport City Council is to carry out a community nature spaces project in Underwood which will aim to create spaces for nature and for people to enjoy.  

We would love to hear your views on this project and would be grateful if you could take five minutes to complete the survey.

Your responses will help shape the future of your neighbourhood.

Frequently asked questions (pdf)

Improving travel in central Newport

24 February 2023 - 6 April 2023

We want your opinion on proposals for improving travel options in the city centre.

The council and Transport for Wales want to improve the experience of travelling to Newport railway station, the riverfront and through Old Green.

The vision is for Newport rail station to become a hub for sustainable travel and our aim is to make the city a nicer place to live, work and visit, while helping people become less dependent on cars.

To help improve safety, the proposals will aim to deliver a more people focused environment by creating simplified active travel routes which are convenient and attractive for all users.

https://haveyoursay.tfw.wales/newport-central-travel-improvements

Parks and play improvement consultation Pillgwenlly 

The Parks Team are aiming to improve play areas in Newport. The project has secured funding to upgrade play areas to provide children with safe and fun spaces to play.

Our first consultation will be focused on Pillgwenlly Millenium Centre and Ruperra Street. You can visit our in person consultation Pillgwenlly Asda, Thursday 30 March 9am-4pm.

Budget proposals – 2023/24

Closed: 2 February 2023

Newport City Council is asking members of the public to give their views on the council’s draft budget and medium-term financial plan for 2023/24.

A number of savings proposals have been put forward due to a budget gap of around £27.6 million.

Replacement local development plan - growth and spatial options consultation

Closed - 8 March 2023

The growth and spatial options consider the scale of growth (housing and employment) and broad options for where that growth could be located (spatial options).

Your feedback will help refine the growth and spatial options to best represent the communities that live in, work in, and visit Newport.            

Devon Place bridge CCTV cameras

Closing date: 28 Feb 2023

Newport City Council will be installing CCTV cameras around the new Devon Place bridge.

The cameras will be placed in the following locations:

  • Two (a pan-tilt-zoom & a static) will be placed on the wall of the old Information Station on Queensway
  • Two (a pan-tilt-zoom and a static) will be placed on a column adjacent to Dragon Taxis
  • Three (one pan-tilt-zoom and two statics) will be placed on the Devon Place side of the bridge.

The cameras will be used for the safety of persons using the bridge, acting as a deterrent to potential anti-social and criminal behaviour, and we are keen to hear your views on what impact this change may have.

Over-55s housing survey 

Closed: 13 February 2023

Newport City Council is asking residents aged over 55 to complete a short, anonymous survey to provide insight into their housing situations. 

Research is being undertaken to develop recommendations to improve services and support for the over 55s. 

Your feedback will shape the proposals and may assist in the development of projects taking place over the next few years. 

School Admissions Policy 2024/25

Closed: 17 February 2023 

Newport City Council is consulting on the rules around admissions to schools in Newport effective from September 2024.

It is a statutory requirement of the Welsh Government School Admissions Code that the Council (as the admissions authority for all community and voluntary controlled schools in Newport) carry out an annual consultation on the school admission arrangements for the next but one academic year.