THE leader of Newport council has called on ministers to provide millions in funding available to make projects from the ReNewport city centre taskforce a reality.

Bob Bright said the council has “great expectations” about the private sector-led group, which is to launch hold its public consultation exercise in Newport’s city centre university campus building next Thursday.

It’s chairman Simon Gibson told the Argus earlier this year that the taskforce’s projects could bring thousands into the town if they came to fruition.

Cllr Bright said: “We have great expectations about the findings and recommendations of the private sector-led reNewport taskforce and sincerely hope that ministers will give their backing to the recommendations, by not only promising to take actions forward as part of long-term plans, but to actually fund their delivery as soon as possible.

“To be meaningful it is essential that ministers make available millions of pounds to make the recommendations a reality and support and improve the local economy.”

A council spokeswoman said the authority was greatly encouraged and enthusiastic about the work of the taskforce set up by the Welsh Government and led by Simon Gibson.

She added that to turn the taskforce’s recommendation into a reality will require “multi-million pound investment”.

Mr Gibson told the Argus in August that the task force was well into its work on a number of projects that were in negotiation involving multiple parties.

He said if the projects are successful “they could bring thousands of people into the city everyday”.