Gwent Car Sales in St Julians could be demolished to make way for 35 affordable homes, if plans are approved by Newport City Council.

A mixture of one-bedroom flats and two-bedroom flats are proposed as part of the application for 6-22 Crawford Street.

The proposed housing development is a partnership between MVR Solutions Ltd (MVR) and the council’s housing branch, Newport City Homes (NCH). Each flat will be rented out at a minimum of 20 per cent less than the market rate.

In the design and access statement it said both MVR and NCH have recognised an “opportunity to meet an identifiable need” for affordable housing.

If plans are approved, the design is expected to be “aesthetically pleasing” and compliment the residential area.

The site is currently used as a vehicle repair garage and for car sales, but is allocated for residential development in the council’s current Local Development Plan (LDP).

As it’s located near a railway line, the pre-application advice raised concerns about the impact of noise. This was addressed in the design and access statement which states any noise could be mitigated by standard construction methods.

Labour councillor Phil Hourahine, who represents the St Julians ward, said he was awaiting his constituents views on the application and would “encourage” them to make their comments.

According to the plans, the applicant MVR Solutions is in the process of purchasing the site.

Due to the council’s involvement in the scheme, the application is expected to go to the planning committee for a decision.

The full plans can be viewed here: https://publicaccess.newport.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=summary&keyVal=RKCMFJLCGP200