AN ACTION group of residents on a Newport street hope to stop their road being opened to extra traffic for the first time in 67 years.

More than 40 of the residents living in Hathaway Street, off Corporation Road, want to stop proposals to extend their cul-de-sac into a new housing estate.

The new estate would be part of redevelopment proposals to bring housing and industry onto the old Pirelli Cables site.

But residents fear extra housing will mean more cars speeding towards congested Corporation Road.

Resident Martin Jones said: "At the moment my daughter can play in the street and we can watch her from the garden and know that cars are not going to be zooming down the street.

"We want a meeting and we will do whatever it takes to stop them from opening the street."

Don Stone, who has lived in Hathaway Street for 40 years, said: "People moved into this street because it was a quiet cul-de-sac and not a high street full of traffic."

Councillor Ken Critchley said: "I share residents' concerns in that opening some of these roads that have been closed for many many years could impose a number of problems in terms of traffic moving to and from Corporation Road.

"I am hoping to get more details and have a public meeting to discuss these issues."

Draft proposals to redevelop the 26-acre site of the former Pirelli cable factory have been on public display this week, showing how 60 per cent of land is earmarked for residential use, and 40 per cent for business. The Welsh Devel-opment Agency bought the site and are working with Newport Unlimited to regenerate the area.

Jonathan Vining, a director at architects WTGL, said: "The road will not be a rat-run and will not be a through road."

But he added: "Inevitably, if more houses are put onto the cul-de-sac traffic is bound to increase."

Judith Askew, urban regeneration project manager at Newport council, said: "This is the time for residents to let us know if they have concerns. There's lots of room for consultation."

Steve Slocombe, principal development manager at urban regeneration company Newport Unl-imited, said: "The former Pirelli site is an integral part of the regeneration strategy for the city of Newport.

"It will create local employment opportunities plus high-quality housing development to accentuate the residential status of the area. "It will also free-up development opportunities for other parts of the city."