CONVERTING a former community centre in Newport into housing would be an “overdevelopment” of the site, councillors have said.

Newport City Council’s planning committee has refused plans for 19 flats at the former Baneswell Community Centre and neighbouring nursery building, as well as a 12-bedroom house in multiple occupation (HMO) next door.

Councillors, acting against the advice of planning officers, made their decision after raising concerns about parking and the proposed development’s impact on the amenity of people living nearby.

Grant Davies, an objector representing residents of St Mary’s Court, claimed several families had sold their houses in the area as a result of the application.

“People living in St Mary’s Court are quite vulnerable and have concerns about the HMO, which will bring in young people and generate excess noise,” he said on April 3.

“Another issue is parking, you can’t park in Baneswell. The streets are overrun, and no one is there to control it.”

Mr Davies also criticised the developer for not offering community funding through a Section 106 agreement.

But planning officer Stephen Williams said the requirement was waved after the developer showed they would make no profit if such an agreement was required.

Councillor Miqdad Al-Nuaimi praised the scheme for proposing to bring the community centre and nursery back into use having been vacant for several years.

But he had “lots of concerns”, adding: “The [Stow Hill] ward, by virtue of being close to the city centre, shouldn’t just become a place where we’re dragging families out.”

Councillor Richard White added: “Putting a four-storey HMO in that gap is overdevelopment.”

A report had said the development would generate less parking demand than what currently exists as spaces once taken up by teaching staff were no longer used.

But this assumption was slammed by Councillor David Fouweather, who said it failed to consider how visitors to the community centre would typically drop off passengers and go.

The application had received nearly 40 objections from local residents.