MARKET SQUARE TRAFFIC CHANGES

Following resistance from bus companies Newport City Council is introducing new traffic orders to enable them service to access the Market Square area of the city. Experimental traffic orders will be introduced with immediate effect to address safety concerns from the bus operators and police. The main traffic flow in the area at the rear of Newport Market will be from Corn Street through to the Old Green Roundabout.
As part of the ongoing City Centre re-development works, the existing bus station is due to be permanently reduced in capacity. Alternative locations for bus services affected include Queensway, Upper Dock Street and Market Square to the rear of the Provisions Market.

ORB WORKS UPGRADE

After the disappointment of the Alphasteel Newport's steel industry has received some welcome good news. Orb Electrical Steels, a leading manufacturer of hi-tech steels for specialist applications in transformers and generators, exports around 90% of its products around the world. The company’s Project Renaissance will see 24 acres of surplus land sold for development, and revenues reinvested in the business to create an updated complex, costing around £4m. Midas Construction of Newport has started work on the 30,000 sq ft company headquarters which will overlook the River Usk a short distance from the historic Transporter Bridge. Orb is part of steelmaker Corus, and steels produced by Corus in the UK and other locally produced material will be used for the prestige project.Orb works general manager Mark Cichuta said, “This project represents the largest investment in the business since the 1960s.

CAMPAIGN AGAINST M4 RELIEF ROAD GATGERS STRENGTH

The campaign against the proposed M4 relief road gathered new momentum today. Opponents claimed it would wreak havoc in a wildlife haven, have staged a campaign event over their concerns. Gwent Wildlife Trust claims the road would damage the Caldicot Levels Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs). It had invited residents to a "Marshes or Motorway" event, to explain its fears over the plans.Julian Branscombe, GWT chief executive, said the Levels were a prime example of wetlands where rare aquatic flora and fauna had survived. Species there included water voles - "our fastest-declining mammals", rare plants like frogbit, insects like the silver water beetle, said Mr Branscombe. Its drainage ditches, known as reens, are inhabited by more than 150 "nationally-significant" invertebrates, he said, some of which date back to Roman times. He added: "Five miles of the wetland would be directly affected by this monstrous road proposal - an ill-conceived and unsustainable relief road for the existing M4 around Newport."
The Trust say on their website "There is no way we can plan for every eventuality with respect to accidents on the present M4. We must not allow a road to be built in an attempt build our way out of congestion. It is time the Welsh Assembly Government investigated more sustainable and less damaging solutions to congestion problems, in particular investing in an efficient public transport system that encouraged people to get out of their cars rather than into them."The Welsh Assembly Government said the proposed route had been realigned in 2004 to minimise impact on the levels.