SO THERE’S no money. Promises aplenty, good intentions by the bucketful, but... no money. Hands up all those who are surprised. What, nobody? All those council assurances, meaningful negotiations and hand-on-heart pledges tend to dwindle into insignificance without so much as a glimpse of readies on the horizon. Oh, and doesn’t that horizon seem suddenly further away?

What is the Welsh Assembly doing to kick-start all the dreams and schemes that comprise the much-awaited resurrection of Newport’s shopping centre? Precious little, it seems, except to sit on those well-fed backsides that Alan Edwards is dead-set on shifting – and good luck to him with that.Time for a reality check. Promises cost nothing, especially when there is nothing on the table. Delay, however, costs livelihoods, loss of revenue and a collapse of public confidence as Newport is left to rot.

Julian R Powell, Malpas Park, Newport