PLANS for a controversial nursing home in Newport were given the green light yesterday - but only on the condition proposed residents from high security hospitals are not housed there.

The Argus revealed last month that four patients from Rampton Special Hospital were expected to be among the first to move into the home at Llanbedr Court, Langstone, planned by Independent Community Living.

ICL claimed all patients would first undergo a risk assessment, but residents expressed concerns for both their own safety and that of children at the nearby school and nurseries.

Now planning chiefs at Newport council have said it must only be a nursing home "as we know it", with no provision for those serving a custodial sentence, or those detained under any Order including Orders under the Mental Health Act.

Councillor Ron Jones, planning chairman, said: "One disturbing thing is the abuse of the words nursing home."

He said they had granted previous application for a nursing home on the site believing it to be "a nursing home as we know it".

"We've got lost now in what a nursing home means and what could come out of it because of the inability of the applicant to come and tell us the truth."

Councillor Jones said the condition would "wrap it up once and for all, and the people we can't get the truth about won't be housed there".

"They've frightened us to death now on every application coming in for a nursing home," he said.

Sean Hannaby, development control manager, added that another condition limiting the use to a residential nursing home as defined under the Care Standards Act 2000 "would prevent ICL doing what they want to do with this property".

The planning committee voted in favour of the conditions, with two abstentions. The planning department must now get confirmation that the wording of the conditions fits with what members wanted.

Langstone councillor David Atwell, who has actively campaigned against 'forensic' patients being housed at Llanbedr Court, said: "Democracy has had its way. I think under normal circumstances it could have sneaked through, but we managed to nip it in the bud. "It's these really bad cases of mental health who are a risk not only to themselves but put our society at risk, that we were concerned about." He added: "Residents in Langstone are relieved."

Jane Watkins, director of nursing at ICL, said the company was waiting to hear from the planning officer before making a comment.