NEWPORT residents are livid that a developer has made fresh plans to put flats on a prefab site.

Protesters at Allt-Yr-Yn were delighted when original plans to build 77 homes at Ridgeway were scrapped by developers in May.

But now Bovis Homes has returned with new designs for 63 homes on the site of 22 condemned prefabs.

Residents say the flats will cause traffic problems and blight an area dominated by bungalows and semi-detached houses.

Malcolm Schulz, of the Ridgeway Management Group, said: "They've just tinkered with the plans. They're still three-storey buildings and too many flats. The site can fit 25 to 30 homes at the most.

"There's strong feeling about this. Over 200 people turned up to the last public meeting at the Civic Centre in heavy snow in February.

"But there's no point in meeting the developers again if these are their terms. I hope the council turn it down."

The development would span 1.03 hectares of land around the junction between Ridgeway Park Road and Ridgeway Close.

The land is surplus to the needs of Newport Housing Trust, and could be sold to help it fund the replacement of Newport's ageing prefabs with new bungalows.

Councillor Matthew Evans said: "It's incredibly frustrating that more plans like this have come back from Bovis. They could have listened to our views about what is acceptable.

"This is still a high density development that is totally out of keeping with the area. We recognise the site needs developing but plans for three-storey flats are causing a lot of concern."

A spokeswoman for Bovis Homes said: "We believe the current scheme addresses the primary concerns identified through previous consultation and workshops.

"Full details of these are available in the design statement document submitted with the planning application."

A spokeswoman for Newport council said it was hoped the planning committee would make a decision on October 20.