A CONTROVERSIAL nursing home, which could house patients needing secure accommodation, has been approved following a public inquiry.

Residents in Langstone, Newport, are outraged by the decision of the Assembly Planning Inspectorate to permit Independent Community Living (ICL) to use Llanbedr Court to accommodate and treat patients detained under the Mental Health Act 1983, ater a public inquiry in April.

ICL was granted planning permission to open the nursing home last year - but the Argus then revealed four elderly patients from the high security unit of the Rampton special hospital in Nottinghamshire would be among the first to move in.

Newport planning chiefs imposed conditions restricting the building's use to a residential care home, and excluding occupation by those serving a custodial sentence, or serving any order including orders under the Mental Health Act.

ICL appealed to have those conditions dropped but this was refused by the city council - backed by residents - and the matter went to a public inquiry.

Afterwards, Alwyn Nixon, the Planning Inspectorate, agreed to lift the Mental Health Act condition.

In the report of his decision, he wrote: "No resident shall be serving a custodial sentence or being detained by virtue of any Order other than by an Order under the Mental Health Act 1983."

A spokesman for ICL said: "We are delighted, and now the decision has been reached, ICL is keen to work with residents to allay their fears. We want to build a relationship with the Langstone community and work towards integrating Llanbedr into local life."

The ruling means the 35-bed medium secure unit, which would be surrounded by a fence and monitored by CCTV, could still admit patients transferred from Rampton.

The ICL spokesman said: "Theoretically, patients could be transferred from Rampton, but ICL doesn't consider residents to be at risk, there is adequate security - and any patient outside the home would be under strict supervision.

"There's no question of patients trying to escape over the fence. Rampton houses some dangerous people but Llanbedr Court is neither a prison or a residential home. It's a nursing home where patients come to be treated for a condition."

The spokesman said the sort of treatment being given would vary from patient to patient with the long-term aim of making each one safe to be allowed back into the community, adding: "Our patients will suffer from various conditions, some may have severe depression for example. Most of them will be elderly."

Simon Lane chairman of Langstone Action, a 1,300 strong residents group, said: "We're disappointed, but the fight is not over. We'll write to Assembly representatives and the relevant health regulatory bodies.

"This ruling has ignored a threat felt by residents."

* In the picture: Action group chairman Simon Lane outside Llanbedr Court.