CONCERNS have been raised over plans to build a block of flats on the a site of former garages in Caerleon.

Newport City Homes has lodged an application to build a two-storey block containing six one-bedroom flats in Eastfield Road, which is set to be given the go-ahead at a council meeting next week.

However, 15 residents have objected to the application and have raised concerns over privacy, the loss of light to neighbouring properties and an increase of pollution and noise levels, amongst others.

Cllr Giles and Caerleon Civic Society have also opposed the development on the grounds of serious local objections and the need for parking space in the area.

The application includes seven parking spaces, one for each bedroom in the development plus a visitor space.

It also says that it won’t result in a loss of privacy to the majority of surrounding properties and that it won’t lead to a loss of light.

“The proposal addresses a clearly identified housing need for this area of the city,” it says in the report. “The Local Housing Market assessment 2015-2020 identified a need for 31 one bedroom properties to be built in Caerleon every year for the five years of the assessment.

“This has not been achieved due to a lack of land availability.”

In the report, the council’s head of law and regulation says that, from the evidence presented, asbestos is still present on the site and recommends that monitoring is carried out by an independent contractor to ensure the health and safety of both site workers and the wider public.

The news comes after the Argus reported the anger of residents from across Newport who had to hand in the keys of garages they had rented out for decades.

Newport City Homes has previously said that residents were asked to empty their garages because of potential safety risks caused by structural problems and that no decisions have been made about the future use of the garage sites.

The housing association said that every site they own is treated on a case-by-case basis and that, before deciding on the use of the land, they carry out consultations.

In the application, it also says Newport City Homes didn’t follow “the correct prior notification procedure” before demolishing the garages in the Caerleon site.

“The matter was investigated by enforcement officers but enforcement action to require their reconstruction was not considered to be expedient and the case was subsequently closed,” it says in the report.

The application will be discussed at a meeting of the council’s Planning Committee on Wednesday, December 7. The meeting at the Civic Centre will begin at 10am and is open to the public.

To view the full plans visit newport.gov.uk/en/Planning-Housing/Planning/Planning.aspx and search for application 16/1016.