Newport councillors approve homes plan (From South Wales Argus)

Newport councillors approve homes plan

4:10pm Saturday 5th January 2013 in News By David Deans - Politics reporter

PLANS for more than 60 homes in Newport have been approved by councillors - despite opposition from Newport Unlimited.

Redrow Homes wants to build 63 houses in Newport on land between Alexandra Gate in Old Town Dock and Riverside Park- instead of flats as it had previously intended.

Newport Unlimited said Redrow failed to meet plans to create an environment distinct from the suburban model of detached and semi-detached homes in other parts of the city.

But councillors approved permission for the development at a planning committee meeting at Newport civic centre.

Redrow Homes applied for planning permission to build the 43 two-storey houses, 13 three-storey houses and eight two-and-a-half storey houses on a mothballed site at its Alexandra Gate development.

Planning consent had previously been given for 11 apartment blocks and 27 houses - but the site was mothballed after the downturn in the housing market amid problems in selling flats.

According to a report to Newport council planning the regeneration company said the plans did not satisfy the need to create a unique and quality environment for the Newport Old Town Dock area.

It argued planning guidance for Old Town Dock was about creating a built environment "distinct from the suburban, city housing model of detached and semi-detached houses that have emerged elsewhere within the city fringe."

"This proposal clearly fails in this aspiration," it says.

However, Labour planning councillor Paul Hannon, pointed to problems some of the flat provision on the other side of the river had faced in finding occupiers.