Civic Centre

This must be early 1960s, as work commenced on building the clock tower in 1963. Now, there's an interesting 'story' about this to be found in Haydn Davis' wonderful book "The History of the Borough of Newport". In his run down of events for 1963 he includes:

"Preparations were now being made to add a clocktower to the Civic Centre, the cost was to be £126, 900, and the Welsh Office had advised that the decision to proceed could only be a local one.

The original plans, disturbed by the war, made provision for such a tower but the passage of time had blurred awareness of the initial concept; there was a powerful lobby of opposition to a venture involving a clock positioned where few could tell time by it and costing a sum regarded as a complete waste of money! Strength of feeling was such that it caused a private survey to be undertaken and this proved to be so popular that the original supply of forms catering for 5,000 signatures, was soon used up; a further rush order had to be placed.

The astonishing result of the poll, gleaned from 8,754 signatures, was 40 to 1 against the clocktower - not for total cancellation but only for postponement until the town was better able to afford it. At the time it was pointed out that £100,000 would provide two primary or junior schools, an old persons home, 50 old peoples bungalows or fifteen 78-seater omnibuses!
The Council's argument was that the reinforcing steel-work for the massive, 150 feet high tower was already built in, and that failure to complete would result in heavy compensation under previously signed contracts about which the Council seemed to have been overly reticent.
The protest was like baying at the moon!
On September 10th, the Council voted by 26 votes to 10 to commence building. The ratepayers were going to get their clock-tower whether they liked it or not!

For some years after this, ratepayers parties became very popular and their candidates began to win council seats, but gradually the fire seemed to go out of the debate on civic economies and a mood of reluctant acceptance set in. Ratepayers representatives quietly departed the Council Chamber. Some, having tasted and liked the cut and thrust of town administration, chose to seek re-election under the guise of one of the main political parties and when successful seemed to forget their earlier aspirations as champions of the hard-pressed!"

It has been reported that, at the time of the debate, Tory Alderman Dolman said that he could use the £126,000 cost to buy gold watches for everyone living within sight of the clock!