The Kingsway told the South Wales Argus that Pride in Pill’s lease was not renewed was because people were sleeping in the unit.
A spokesperson for the Kingsway said: “As a responsible landlord, we cannot knowingly allow the unit to be used for anything other than storage.”
Paul Murphy, who runs Pride in Pill told the Argus that this claim was “a load of rubbish”.
He said: “If I knew that was happening, that someone was sleeping in the unit, I would kick them out of the group.”
The spokesperson from the Kingsway said: “The unit they currently occupy is located beneath the shopping centre and is designated as a storage space under strict health and safety regulations.
“For this reason, we are unable to renew the licence or repurpose the unit for alternative uses.”
Mr Murphy from Pride in Pill said it would not be possible for someone to get into the unit at night to sleep inside it. He said it is only open from 10am to 6pm and is used to store food items which are given to homeless people in Newport.
Mr Murphy said there are only three people who have a key to the unit, including himself.
Pride in Pill MBE are a multi-award winning voluntary group in Newport which has been supporting the homeless since 2018.
(Image: Pride in Pill) Paul Murphy on the left with the food for the homeless.
The Kingsway spokesperson said: “We greatly value the contributions of Pride in Pill to the community and have communicated with them directly to offer support as they transition to a new location.
“As their landlord, we can confirm that the licence for their use of the unit expired in mid-December 2024.
“Recognising the importance of their work, we extended the arrangement, allowing them to stay until mid-January 2025 to ensure a smoother transition.”
