A NEW church hall will be built in Bassaleg, after Newport Council give plans the green light.

The single storey building, to be used for church and community activities, will be created on land adjacent to St Basil's Church.

At present, no facilities can be provided for the congregation, as the old church hall is in need of costly repair.

The new building, which will be closer to the church, will allow functions to be carried out more easily.

In 2008, the refused an application for a larger two-storey hall.

Reasons given included not enough off-street parking, the impact on the setting of the listed church and an archaeological evaluation had not been submitted.

The new plan was given the go-ahead but the development cannot get under way without satisfying these, as well as other conditions including building it in a manner compatible with its surroundings and cycle parking, to promote sustainable travel.

Plans indicate the hall will be built of natural stone to blend in with the existing boundary wall, with a shallow sloping roof.

It will have a maximum height of 4.3 metres and narrow high-level windows to provide light and ventilation.

Residents expressed their concerns about access to the hall, for users and emergency vehicles, with Station Approach likely to become congested.

The road leads to the restaurant Junction 28, and plans for a parking area to be used by churchgoers only, are to be approved by the council at a later date.