A FORMER council-owned day centre in Newport could be knocked down and replaced with housing under plans submitted to the city council.

A planning application proposes demolishing Kensington Court Day Centre and building 10 detached family homes at the site in Beechwood.

The building, originally the site of a Victorian villa, has been vacant since mental health day services moved to the Brynglas Adult Training Centre in Brynglas Road in 2016.

It is in a “very poor condition” due to ongoing vandalism incidents and most recently an arson attack.

The application proposes building 10 “high quality” four-bedroom homes, as well as garages and creating an access road for the site in Oaklands Road.

Each house will be provided with a garden and private driveway.

The development would include a new site access road and a safe turning area for vehicles.

The application promises “regeneration of the previously developed land with an attractive development of high quality family homes within a sustainable location.”

It is also hoped the scheme will help combat incidents of vandalism at the site.

But an objection has been lodged against the plans from neighbours at the grade-II listed Cambrian House.

One objector voices concern that his property and garden will be overlooked by the development.

“This will significantly impact on my privacy – the balcony from the bedroom would look across and into a number of windows including first floor bathroom, hallways, and upstairs sitting room,” he writes.

“It will also have direct line of sight into my garden and given the height of the neighbouring ground this would give a direct view into my personal space.”

However a heritage statement says Cambrian House is “heavily screened” by trees and that only “glimpsed views” of the property would be seen from the development.

The plans are expected to be decided by Newport council in the coming weeks.