The day the Lawns Club in Maindee went up in smoke

The Lawns Club, in Kensington Grove, is Grade II-listed but after many years of standing empty it has fallen victim to fire and vandalism.

South Wales Argus reader Gavin Wilkins, of Newport, sent in these pictures he took on the day the building went up in smoke.

The building dates from the 19th century and before it became a club it is thought to have been a school. It was granted listed status in 1997 as "a good example of an Italianate villa".

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In 2017 the Argus reported that redevelopment plans for the building were thrown out by Newport City Council.

At the time the owner Shahid Mahmood wanted to convert the building into two flats with a total of 14 bedrooms, as well as build two new houses on the site.

In its decision notice the council said the development would have "a demonstrable adverse effect" on the building and "no justification or information/detail has been provided that would mitigate this objection".

It also said the development was not in keeping with the surrounding conservation area and could damage trees and bat habitats in the area, while failing to include any affordable housing.

In 2003 permission was granted to covert the building into two flats and build two new houses on the site, but building work never began. This was the same year the building was seriously damaged in a fire, with part of it collapsing.

In 2006 the council blocked an application to demolish the derelict building entirely, a decision which was upheld by a planning inspector, and two separate planning applications in 2009 and 2016 to convert the building into two homes were also refused.