DEVELOPERS Planning 150 homes on a former Newport golf course will give a huge tract of land to the public if city councillors back the scheme. The 'gift' of 80 acres of the former Tredegar Park golf course could be used for recreation, including a wildlife reserve, games pitches and a cycle path.

Developers Newbridge Con-struction will also give almost £1m towards local schools - a legal requirement for all new developments - and spend £250,000 on improving the SUSTRANS cycle route.

The company wants to build executive homes on the remaining 15 acres of the 95- acre site.

In exchange for planning permission, they have pledged to help maintain the gift of land - a wedge bordered by the M4 and Forge Road.

Nigel Phillips, an agent for Newbridge Construction, a company representing owners including Llanover Estate, said: "This is a wonderful opportunity for Newport to benefit from a superb riverside leisure area and to provide 150 new, high-quality homes.

"The site will add formal and informal leisure areas and a potential wildlife habitat, which could see otters, bats and wildfowl thrive in the heart of Newport."

Laws now require all new developments to consider 100- year flood levels.

Mr Phillips said although the luxury homes would not be at risk of flooding, studies show that much of Duffryn and parts of Maesglas would fall under a "once-in-a-100- years" flood.

Embankments built by Newbridge Construction on the Tredegar Park golf course site would guard the new homes and help protect lower-lying areas.

He added: "The development would provide significant relief to the risk of flooding of existing housing in Maesglas and Duffryn, and of commercial premises near Tredegar Park."

Planning permission was granted to Newbridge Construction last month to build over 100 flats on the remaining three acres of club land, including the former clubhouse.

Ward councillor Ernie Watkins said: "All of the remaining golf course land should be maintained as a green area. "The council opposed this land being used for light industry.

" I have yet to see the plans, but many of my constituents are fed up with buildings going on every blade of grass round here."