PLANS to build nearly 80 homes on the site of a former Cwmbran school have been given the go ahead at a planning meeting.

On Tuesday, April 25, Torfaen County Borough Council’s planning committee met to discuss the proposed development on the former site of Llantarnam Community Primary School.

The school closed last year as part of the 21st Century Schools Programme, with pupils and staff moving to a new building under the same name, Llantarnam Community Primary School.

The big move happened in November and was followed by an official opening by Welsh Government Education Minister Kirsty Williams.

Torfaen CBC planner Helen Smith, speaking at the planning meeting, said that the school's former site has been vacant for “some time” with submitted plans aiming to redevelop the site as a residential area.

Plans for the vacant site include a mix of flats, bungalows and two-story buildings —including affordable housing — with 78 residential homes in total.

The committee also heard that the Southern part of the site will include a “attractive area” of public open space together with a play area and that a new access road will be built off Greenwillows road.

The play area will have links to existing residential properties and new homes in the area and mature trees on the site will be retained when the homes are constructed.

Helen Smith added the Greenwillows Road access point will be the only place for vehicles to enter the site and that a pedestrian link will be maintained leading onto Llantarnam Road.

The housing development was unanimously passed by the planning committee under several conditions.

These include conditions addressing any potential risks to health or the environment, protection of animal and plant species, highway safety issues and time limitations on construction work.