Caerleon university site homes plan 'should be rejected'

A plan to build more than 300 homes on a former university site should be rejected, planning officers have said.

The University of South Wales (USW) left the Caerleon campus after moving to Newport city centre in 2016.

Council officers said they had concerns about traffic congestion and air quality, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The university, which planned to sell the site and re-invest the money, said it would consider its options.

It plans to retain the main campus building, which is Grade II listed, but former student halls and teaching buildings will be demolished to make way for housing and other amenities.

In a report to Newport's planning committee, the council's scientific officer said the restricted flow of traffic in Caerleon made it "particularly sensitive to change in volumes of traffic".

"Given the pressing need to ensure an improvement of air quality in Caerleon - I cannot support this application," the officer wrote.

Caerleon Civic Society also objected, raising concerns about school capacity, GP services and traffic issues.

Despite recognising the plan meets regeneration objectives, officers said: "The benefits arising from the proposal would not demonstrably outweigh the objections."

A spokesman for USW said the application sought to respect the heritage of the site and meet local issues.

He warned of "potentially significant implications" for the funding of the Newport Knowledge Quarter - a plan to build a further education college next to the university's city centre campus.

But the spokesman added: "There will be no kneejerk reaction; we will now review the detail of the recommendation and our options for next steps."