A PUBLIC consultation for controversial plans to place a crematorium in Bassaleg was not publicised enough, it has been argued.

A public consultation on proposals to build a crematorium and remembrance garden south of Bassaleg School was held on Monday but many residents have said they were not given enough notice of the consultation or that it was well publicised.

Chairman of Graig Community Council, cllr Paul Gregory, told the Argus that the council was informed on Wednesday, five days before the consultation, but said that Asbri Planning, the consultants who represent the developers, Blairgar Ltd, rang the community hall's booking officer two weeks ago to book the hall but did not inform the council on their plans for a public consultation until last week.

Cllr Gregory said: "The community council are totally unhappy about it. Five days notice is not a reasonable amount of time.

"If residents had been informed properly then there could have been nearly 1,000 there rather than 300. When we had an LDP public consultation there were 600 people there -you can't call it a public consultation if the public aren't consulted fully."

The crematorium is proposed at a 3.76 hectares field and will be 200 yards from the junior's school building. Residents said they were concerned with the proximity to the school and heavy traffic in the area.

Matt Gray, senior planner at Asbri Planning, said the consultation was a voluntary exercise and was attended by 298 people. He said leaflets were put in the Rhiwderin Post Office, in several shops and pubs along with poster displays on lamppost throughout the Bassaleg area.

He said: "What we would say is the project is in the initial stages and this was an early opportunity to touch base with the community. If we are to proceed, then another consultation, if it would be required, would be undertaken."

Graig Community Council is set to hold a meeting to discuss the controversial proposals at the community hall tonight at 7pm.