What consideration did the Cabinet Minister give to Newport city centre in advance of her recent announcement of town centre regeneration funding on 12 August 2026, and why was it not selected?
Funding announcements made on 12 August 2026 highlighted a selection of projects recently approved through the Transforming Towns programme and were not intended to represent all regeneration funding approvals.
The projects announced reflected the timing and status of individual applications that had completed Welsh Government's established approval processes and were ready for announcement, rather than any judgement about the merits of regeneration activity in particular locations.
Newport continues to benefit from Welsh Government regeneration investment, having received more than £17.6 million of Transforming Towns funding since 2020 to support a range of city centre regeneration projects, including the Market Arcade, the Old Station Building and the Leisure and Wellbeing Centre.
The Welsh Government will continue to work with Newport City Council to develop and consider further regeneration proposals in line with the city's emerging Placemaking Plan and wider regeneration priorities.
As part of the Welsh Government’s stated ambition to revitalise town centres across Wales, I have announced the establishment of the Town Centre Taskforce, which will have a pan-Wales remit, with membership selected to reflect the geography, communities and diversity of Wales. Its work will consider opportunities and challenges facing town centres and high streets across Wales, rather than focusing on any individual town or city.