CAERPHILLY County Borough Council are considering building houses on the site of a former school – and residents are not happy.

The council are looking to build a housing development on the site of the former Oakdale Comprehensive School.

If it goes ahead, the development will offer open market sales and affordable and social housing.

Site investigations are going on to assess if the area is suitable for the development. But residents of the area want to see something other than houses – and would prefer another school to go there.

Lindsay Jones said: “I think another school is needed with all housing going up.”

Nat Lammert said: “If they are going to build more houses, more schools are needed, especially comprehensive schools.”

Joanne Moses said: “There needs to be a safe and controlled place where our children can go. They say the children are our future so let’s stop with the money making and put it towards our children’s future.”

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Phylip Siencyn said: “No more housing needs to be built as there are over 30,000 empty properties in Wales that could be refurbished. The majority of the new houses built are in a higher price range and out of the reach of the working class.”

Stephen Porter and Janet Mason say they aren’t surprised. Mr Porter said: “No change here then. School closes, CCBC say ‘there are no plans for housing on the site, it will be for community benefit’…”

Ms Mason said that it doesn’t really make a difference what the public thinks as they will go ahead with it anyway.

Cllr Philippa Marsden, leader of Caerphilly County Borough Council, said: “This is an incredibly exciting opportunity for the council to develop this currently unused land into a flagship housing development; the first of its kind for the council and part of our wider programme of new house building throughout the county borough.”

Cllr Lisa Phipps, cabinet member for housing at the council, said: “As well as helping to meet the increasing demand for housing, this development will also offer affordable homes enabling first-time buyers to step onto the property ladder in a highly desirable area of the county borough.”

The council said they will keep residents and the local community informed as plans for the site progress.