A FORMER nursery in Bettws which has been closed since 2014 will be demolished and replaced with 10 houses and six flats despite concerns around the impact on traffic in the area.

The application by Charter Housing Association for the former Bettws Day Nursery in Don Close was given the go-ahead at a meeting of Newport City Council’s Planning Committee yesterday.

All 10 of the semi-detached houses and six flats will be designated as affordable housing and the development will also include 32 parking spaces.

Members heard, although the buildings were widely seen as an eyesore, 20 objections had been received against the plans, with concerns including the increase in traffic as well as a lack of parking and other facilities including play areas.

Ward member Cllr Kevin Whitehead said he was firmly in favour of social and affordable housing, but was seriously concerned Bettws was already overloaded with traffic.

“If we have a genuine major emergency situation on the estate the implications of that don’t even bear thinking about,” he said.

Saying the most recent census carried out in 2011 showed there were 7,600 people living in Bettws and he believed this had increased by around 2,000 over the past two years.

The Independent councillor added: “You can’t get more water into an already full glass, you can’t blow into a balloon that’s going to burst.

“Where are the developments for the other estates in Newport?”

Conservative deputy mayor Cllr David Fouweather said he shared concerns about the increase in traffic in Bettws and across the city as a whole.

“It’s adding up all the time,” he said.

“It has to be dealt with and dealt with now.”

And Pill ward member Cllr Omar Ali said he was concerned the implications of the development for the future of the estate had not been taken fully into account.

“We should be looking 50 years ahead,” he said. “But we’re not doing that.”

But Malpas ward member Cllr Jane Mudd said, with an estimated 1,250 applications for social housing in Bettws alone, including about 795 single people, any opportunity to increase the supply of affordable housing in Newport should be grasped.

“What this offers us is to get some work towards meeting housing need in the city,” she said.

“We have to recognise the high number of people who will never have their needs met.

“Any opportunity to provide affordable housing, particularly like this, should be welcomed.”

Members voted six to two to approve the plans.

To view the full application visit newport.gov.uk/en/Planning-Housing/Planning and search for 16/0526.