Green light for apartment blocks on 'magnet for anti-social behaviour' site near Newport’s George Street Bridge

The development in Galliford’s Yard in Coverack Road will offer a mixture of affordable and open market housing across the five and six storey buildings.

Newport council officers and the developer Jehu Group say the scheme would help further regenerate areas along the River Usk.

Robin Williams, the agent representing the Bridgend-based firm, said the former industrial site had become a magnet for antisocial behaviour.

The proposed development site, which is currently vacant. Picture: Jehu Group

A meeting of the council’s planning committee heard that a clean-up operation last April unearthed around 900 needles, gas canisters, other drug paraphernalia and knives from the area.

“The regeneration aspect of this scheme can’t be overstated,” said Mr Williams.

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Apartments offered in the six-storey block would be entirely affordable while the five-storey building would have 32 ‘open market’ flats. A mixture of one and two-bedroom flats is proposed.

Concerns had been raised about the 77 parking spaces being short of expected demand but planning officer Joanne Davidson urged caution about refusing the application on such grounds.

The meeting heard that a separate development on Kelvedon Street was refused on officer recommendation for offering six fewer spaces than required.

But on appeal, a planning inspector considered the shortfall acceptable and allowed the scheme to go ahead.

“Whilst we appreciate there may be concerns about shortfall of parking, it’s not a defendable reason for refusal and must be weighed against merits of the scheme,” said Ms Davidson.

Councillor Miqdad Al-Nuaimi took issue with the ‘box-like’ appearance of the planned blocks but Ms Davidson said they were ‘modern’ and in keeping with the nearby City Vision development.

The proposed apartment blocks next to the nearby City Vizion apartments

The meeting also heard that the building’s cladding materials would meet the most up to date building regulations in light of the Grenfell fire in London in 2017.

Committee members voted unanimously to grant planning permission for the scheme.