A DERELICT 19th century church in Maindee is to be demolished and replaced with 14 new affordable homes.

St Matthews Church in Church Street was forced to close in 2014 after it was deemed unsafe due to dry rot.

Newport City Council's planning committee has now given the go-ahead to plans to knock the building down and replace it with a three-storey block containing seven two-bedroom flats and another seven with one bedroom.

Planning officer Geraint Roberts said, while the building itself looked in good condition from the outside, the inside was considered structurally unsafe.

"The church itself is a fairly attractive building in a fairly mundane street in all fairness," he said.

"But it's not protected so it can be demolished without recourse."

He added affordable flats of this kind, which would be targeted towards older people, were sorely needed in Newport.

"We have a sadly redundant church but we are replacing it with a much needed church," he said.

But Stow Hill ward member Cllr Miqdad Al-Nuaimi said he believed more could be done to preserve the building, which was built in the 1890s.

"I find it very hard to accept a building of this quality is to be demolished for flats," he said.

"It is a lovely building

"We have converted buildings like this, keeping the exterior.

"I appreciate the need for affordable housing but I can't support demolishing a building of this calibre."

Members voted four to three to support the plans.

South Wales East AM Mohammad Asghar, who organised a petition calling on the council to instead use the site as a green space for young people, which attracted more than 50 signatures, said he was disappointed by the announcement.

The Conservative AM, whose constituency office is also on Church Road, said: "Quite a few people came to my office and showed their concern but as usual no one listened.

"My office is right in the middle of two nurseries and the young people there need a playing field.

"They are our future but they (the planning committee) are not thinking about that."

He added he was also disappointed by the loss of a valuable historical building.

"It's only in Great Britain that you can do this," he said.

"If this was anywhere else there would be riots if they demolished a church."