Welsh Government funding for Newport coffee shop and apartments a winning blend

I joined Welsh Government Communities Minister Lesley Griffiths AM on a visit to Newport’s Coffee Thirst. Coffee Thirst, which opened last autumn, is an independent coffee shop on the site of the former King William (‘King Billy’) Pub on the junction of Commercial Street and Kingsway in Newport City Centre.

The building was renovated with funding from the Welsh Government’s Vibrant and Viable Places scheme. The scheme has invested £15million into Newport for use in city centre regeneration projects.

Coffee Thirst is a great example of Vibrant and Viable Places funding in action – preventing a building which people remember fondly from falling into disrepair, and transforming it into a welcoming home for a great new local business. As I’ve stated before, Newport really does have great potential as a hub for urban regeneration in Wales, and it’s clear that the Welsh Labour Government has seen this – the city is now Wales’ single largest beneficiary of the Vibrant and Viable Places programme.

I wish the team at Coffee Thirst all the best for the future – they’ve settled into the premises seamlessly and it’s already becoming a magnet for local coffee lovers.