THERE are plans to “future proof” Newent with a new transport hub which aims to make it a more attractive destination for visitors.

People are being asked to share their views on Project Benedict, a project which aims to improve transport in Newent town centre.

Civic chiefs claim Newent is “the most beautiful town in the Forest of Dean”.

But they are concerned that the first thing most visitors see when arriving is the car park in Lewell Street near Newent Lake.

However, they plan to change this by transforming and rebranding the area as St Benedict’s Square to celebrate its historical origins as the former site of a Benedictine priory.

The proposals will see changes to bus routes, a better shelter with live passenger information, secure cycle storage and repair facility, electric vehicle charge points, and a drinking water fountain along with a feature history wall highlighting the town’s heritage.

The scheme also includes tree planting, pavement improvements, increased parking spaces due to a reduction in the number of recycling bins as well as improved signposting.

The consultation is being led by public transport group Buses4Us and the project is supported by Newent Town Council, Stagecoach, Gloucestershire County Council, Forest of Dean District Council and Newent Cycle Group.

Clare Stone, chairman of transport group Buses4Us, said the improvements would help prepare the town which is expected to see more than a thousand extra homes built over the next 20 years.

Changes to the 32 bus route, which links Newent with Gloucester, will improve access for residents in the South East of the town and mean a bus stop would be a ten minute walk for most.

She thanked Stagecoach for their support and said they were the “lynchpin” for making it happen.

“In the local plan, development in Newent is concentrated to the South East as it is probably where our new health centre will go,” she said.

“Now if we don’t have a good public transport connection between the town centre and those areas in place before it all starts we are going to leave those people very disconnected.”

She said Project Benedict would “lay the foundations” for future bus route improvements.

“It’s future proofing,” she said.

“We know through Buses4Us, because we serve Ledbury and Ross as well, how easy it is to whack up a new development and leave them completely disconnected.”

The other part of the project is to improve the “welcome to Newent”, she said.

“Newent is a beautiful town. It’s definitely the prettiest town in the Forest of Dean.

“But this car park is the place where most people arrive and it is not as good as it could be. It’s not very attractive.

“There’s no sense of place.”

Forest of Dean District Council’s cabinet member for property and projects Sid Phelps (G, Lydbrook) said they are fully supportive of the plans.

“It’s a bit of a no-brainer,” he said. “Why wouldn’t we co-operate?

“It’s part of the emerging local plan to support a transport hub. Let’s do it.”

Newent Mayor Sara Hulbert said it seemed logical for all the organisations to work together instead of doing things separately, which would benefit the community.

And County Councillor Gill Moseley (LD, Newent) said Shire Hall was already onboard with the plans for a transport hub which was put into policy quite some time ago.

She said Gloucestershire County Council also has a dedicated officer for the project.

“It’s particularly important we get it sorted out before we get all involved with local government reorganisation,” she said.

“We would like to get it sorted. It’s certainly not something we had to persuade Gloucestershire County Council about, because they are looking at it as a transport interchange.”

Funding for the project comes from the Government Bus Service Improvement Fund, contributions from the Picklenash Grove development, Gloucestershire County Council’s tree fund and levelling up funding via Forest of Dean District Council.

It is also being made possible thanks to a bequest via Buses4Us, given in memory of local resident Gary Vaughan, who died last year and always said “something needs doing with that car park”, according to the transport group.