The Ryder Cup - a unique opportunity for South East Wales
Short Debate Speech delivered on Wednesday 21st January 2009
As of today there are 617 days until the 38th Ryder Cup is played between the European and United States Teams at the Celtic Manor Resort near Newport. However, when one considers the amount of media coverage and level of anticipation in the local area the event has generated recently, colleagues could be forgiven for thinking it was occurring much sooner. Speculation over who will succeed Nick Faldo as European Captain has dominated sport supplements for the past week, while the resort’s recent announcement of a cost cutting review which may lead to 70 redundancies has again emphasised the human cost of the brutal economic downturn we are experiencing. What is not in doubt is the prestige and importance of the world’s third most popular sporting event coming to Wales and the scale of the achievement of Sir Terry Matthews and the Celtic Manor to build the Twenty Ten course and tempt the world’s best golfers to play it. We, as politicians, must strive to ensure that Wales and the city of Newport fully capitalises on this unique opportunity to showcase our skills, culture and attractions.
So often overlooked by visitors and event organisers who opt for Cardiff, Swansea or Bristol, it is hard to overstate the importance of the Ryder Cup to Newport. Consider the impact that holding the event in Louisville, previously most well known as the home of the Kentucky Derby and America’s leading Baseball Bat manufacturer - Slugger, had in improving the perception of the city and State. Jerry Abramson, the Mayor of Louisville, host city for last year’s Ryder Cup, focused a number of regeneration and business development projects to coincide or be ready for the tournament with impressive results. It is to be hoped that the efforts that Newport Council make, in partnership with the Assembly Government, will see similarly effective regenerations schemes and investment in businesses and people in South Wales East. The social and economic legacy of the event in Kentucky is plain to see:
- Significant investment, most notably a $200 million injection from Ford towards developing a new fuel-efficient car for the American market
- A new reputation as an important sports centre – the city will now host Ironman Competition and landed the Breeders Cup for a return engagement at Churchill Downs in 2010.
- Numerous tourism awards (including ‘America’s Best tasting Water from the American Water Works Association
- Downtown growth — Construction has begun on a new $238 million downtown arena and the city completed the deal to expand Fourth Street Live with the Center City project, which will create 1,000 construction jobs and 2,000 permanent jobs.
- Creating new parks and Public Safety Initiatives;
- Most notably, the city had more tourists than any other year in its history who had a 1.4 billion dollar economic impact in 2008.
Despite the challenging economic conditions, which are likely to result in fewer American visitors than had been anticipated, the Ryder Cup is a once in a lifetime opportunity to similarly raise the profile of Newport to attract a long term legacy of investment and visitors. Existing surveys have highlighted that operating at capacity and based on previous Ryder Cup data the economic impact of the Ryder Cup will be in region of £40m but this figure does not take account of the fact that people will most likely be staying in Wales for longer than the three day duration of the event and takes no account of the potential investment in businesses in the area. The analysis performed by
Sports Marketing Surveys that takes this wider spend into account suggests that £67million will be gained but the benefits of having Newport on show to a television audience of 1 billion people are truly inestimable.
However, the economic success of the event cannot be taken for granted - it remains the role of the Assembly and policy makers to identify potential obstacles to success. The Ryder Cup provides a focal point for a great many local issues – including addressing the fly-tipping and litter that often scars Newport’s roads and countryside, tackling levels of deprivation in the City’s council estates – most notably Ringland, overlooked by the Celtic Manor Resort- and easing the traffic congestion that is such a hallmark of life in and around Newport. In December it was with amazement that I and many commentators read of plans to impose a 50 miles per hour limit on the M4 between junctions 24 and 28 so that work can occur to replace the safety lane dividing barriers. The Deputy First Minister and Minister for Economy and Transport assures us that this work and that required at the Coldra Interchange at Junction 24 will not disrupt the traffic to the tournament and it is imperative that he is correct – Newport will probably never have this chance again. It would be an appalling failure on the part of the Welsh Assembly Government if visitor’s enduring memory of the Ryder Cup, and likewise the 2010 Eisteddfod in Ebbw Vale, were to be of long queues at the Brynglas Tunnels at junction 26. It seems churlish to point out that local business owners’ very real concerns about traffic congestion would have been alleviated had an M4 relief road been in place – of course had a Conservative administration been elected in 1997 the road would already have been built.
The tournament will also present a considerable test to our public transport network with much emphasis being placed upon Park and Ride Schemes. The schemes worked well at the Celtic Manor Wales Open and this is an ideal opportunity to raise spectator’s awareness of value of our bus network and of pooling cars to reduce number of journeys. 35,000 people a day will enter the golf course, all accessed by bus. An exclusion zone will be in operation – a sad indictment of world security considerations. Looking further a field, while the enhancements to Newport railway station are to welcomed (despite initial teething problems such as the failure to provide access for disabled people), it remains a source of disappointment that the failure to action proposals to open the rail link between Newport and Ebbw Vale in sufficient time for the Ryder Cup may deprive Golf supporters from the North Gwent Valleys of the opportunity to see the tournament in person. But we must concentrate on the here and now – acting in partnership with businesses the Conservative led Newport Council has already taken promising steps toward improving the appearance and vibrance of the City, pledging to clear up litter, vandalised property and sections of the River Usk. Proposals such as a erecting temporary fairground and big wheel at the City Vizion site at Rodney Parade and getting the Transporter Bridge working are indicative of the scope of the Council’s ambition. Tremendous opportunities exist to promote South East Wales’ heritage which non attending visitors must be enticed to see.
As I have outlined, the excitement locally and in the golfing fraternity is already palpable. The number of articles on American websites yielded by a simple Google search that preview the 2010 event is quite staggering, with speculation abounding as to whether the American team will be helped or hindered by the likely addition of Tiger Woods to their team, and hole by hole guides to the Twenty Ten course already receiving many hits from Golfers eager to view pictures of the splendid Course and Club House and plan a visit the venue prior to the tournament. With careful planning the benefits of the Ryder Cup can be spread beyond golf fans, hoteliers and caterers and will leave a legacy of more than an improved transport infrastructure. In addition to being an unparalleled opportunity for business ‘networking’, there is a real opportunity to improve the quality of life for many people in South Wales East. As well as ensuring that local people are targeted for jobs, the tournament provides an ideal opportunity to encourage people of all ages to participate in physical activity. Gwent is already considered a hot spot for golf within the United Kingdom and the world will soon discover this passion for the sport, and with it excellent hospitality, the beautiful scenery of the Usk Valley and the warm welcome of the people of Newport. In Europe, only the Belfry in Warwickshire and Lytham St. Annes in Lancashire have hosted the Ryder Cup on more than occasion but in the Celtic Manor we have a course and setting that is worthy of hosting the tournament many times.
We can ill afford to let this unique opportunity to sell Wales to the world slip by!