NEWPORT City Council has approved an application to build a new teaching block at the recently-merged Gaer Primary School, which will bring 16 more staff on site.

The Newport primary, which was created after the merger of Gaer Infant School and Junior School earlier this year, will receive a new stand-alone building for early years children.

At a meeting of the council’s planning committee yesterday chaired by Cllr Paul Hannon, councillors voted unanimously in favour of the proposal.

Two Year One classes, two reception classes and one nursery class will be housed in the new block, which will be built on the garden to the north of the existing junior school. A hard play area will also be created.

The new building has been designed to fit in with the current Grade II-listed junior school on Gaer Road, which Cadw called an “exceptionally well-preserved primary school”.

CllrPaul Huntley, who sits on the planning committee of the council, said: “This is for the benefit of the children in Newport. It is really good to have an infant section close to a junior section in order to integrate the two.”

The new single site Gaer Primary School will have capacity for 420 children, with the former infant school site, off Melfort Road, turned into an autism unit.

The application for the building was approved on condition of 16 additional parking spaces being built, as well as any trees and shrubs being replaced or maintained.