Former Newport pub in line for major renovation

A former club in the Pill neighbourhood of Newport could be in line for major renovations.

The city council has received plans to refurbish the old Irish Club in Commercial Road, creating accommodation and communal spaces including a function hall and a cafe and bar.

A design statement submitted by agents LRJ Planning for applicant Liam McGoldrick shows the upper floors of the Irish Club currently house self-contained flats which are let out on a short-term basis.

That accommodation will be refurbished and retained if the new proposal goes ahead.

The ground floor will house a bar and commercial-standard kitchen area, a large function room, and an outdoor seating area.

Upgrade

Planning documents show this part of the premises could become a “multi-purpose space” which brings “a sense of place and [adds] to the amenity of the nearby properties”.

Renovating the flats will “provide much needed enhanced accommodation including the overall upgrading and refurbishment of the property”, the agents said, adding that “the provision of 15 upgraded short-term lets will increase the range and choice of housing in this edge of city centre location”.

If the plans are approved, the proposed cafe and bar area would open from 8am to 11pm Mondays to Thursdays, from 8am to midnight on Fridays and Saturdays, and from 10am to 11pm on Sundays.

No changes to the outside of the premises have been proposed, and the agent said the internal works would “ensure a vibrant reuse of the building”.