ANGRY residents have pledged to fight proposals to turn an Abergavenny guest house into a children's nursery.

Locals fear changing the use of an Oxford Street guest house to a nursery for up to 40 children will cause traffic and noise problems in the quiet residential area of the town. The building has not been used as a guest house since it was sold two years ago.

Now an application has been sent to Monmouthshire county council Planning department to change the use from category C1 to D1 - this would cover the provision of a nursery for children aged up to 11.

One of the protesters, Andrew Haigh, of Oxford Street, asked: "Where would they park any of the potential 19 cars staff may use when travelling to and from work?

"Parents of some 40 children, which potentially means 40 cars, would be dropping off their young children from 8am and similarly picking up from late afternoon, with an additional number of children attending after-school activities.

"This would further contribute to traffic congestion, noise and pollution in the street and would restrict the ability of residents returning from work to park outside their properties in Oxford Street."

Teacher Carolyn Watkins, who lives in Priory Road, said her back garden overlooked the guest house.

She said: "It's a quiet residential area and a nursery would generate an unacceptable level of noise to residents of both Oxford Street and Priory Road."

Planning chief George Ashworth said: "The application has been made by a man from Basingstoke and the nursery would employ 12 full-time and seven part-time staff and cater for 40 children, plus up to 18 at an after-school club."

Mr Ashworth confirmed the council has already received several letters of objections from neighbouring residents.