CAMPAIGNERS are celebrating "a victory for common sense" after the Assembly vetoed plans for a temporary access road for works traffic serving the site of a homes and school development in Newport.

Developers are to build 153 homes and a replacement for Durham Road infants and junior schools on a former landfill site at Glebelands, St Julians.

They had proposed a temporary road across the parkland for moving building materials and waste - but residents who fought the development labelled the idea "madness" and "foolhardy."

The Assembly's transport division, albeit in less colourful terms, has now rejected the idea.

A letter from the Assembly to Glebelands Action Group chairman John Martin states that the junction between the M4 and the A4042 at Caerleon Road "is not the simplest of arrangements" and continues: "It was considered that the provision of two temporary site accesses would further complicate the arrangements and could lead to some confusion for motorists.

"There would also be the interaction of slower moving vehicles going to and from the site diverging and emerging with high speed traffic on a busy section of road.

"As the Welsh Assembly Government's overriding consideration is to preserve the free flow and safety of road traffic, the developer's proposal was on this occasion refused."

Revised proposals could be submitted, and the council and the developers have yet to comment on the implications of the Assembly's ruling.

But Mr Martin said that for the time being at least, the right conclusion has been reached.

"This road would have passed within metres of a new children's play area, close to the most popular part of the park," he said.

"We've no doubt children would have been in danger. For once someone has listened to us. We may not have heard the last of this, but we'll keep a close eye on what the council and the developers do next."

The plan for the Glebelands has caused anger and concern among residents. The go-ahead was given for the development last year, despite fears the former landfill site was a health hazard.