New £80m convention centre for Newport on the way

It’s excellent news that the Welsh Government has agreed to form a joint venture partnership with Wesley Clover, the parent company of the Celtic Manor Resort, to construct an International Convention Centre in Newport.

The proposed £80million facility would be capable of hosting up to 5,000 delegates, and is expected to be completed and ready for use in 2019.

Rosemary Butler and I had an opportunity to look at the plans for the new convention centre with Welsh Government Economy Minister Edwina Hart; and what’s being proposed is both ambitious and exciting.

The ground-breaking new convention centre will be another string in Newport’s bow, and will provide a boost to local jobs in the construction and leisure industries. The Celtic Manor has already shown its ability to host global events like the Ryder Cup and NATO Summit, and the Convention Centre will supplement this by enabling the city to host large international events and conferences on a regular basis.