PLANS to build houses on part of Llanwern steelworks could cause serious flood problems in the village, locals say.

Residents of Llanwern, where there was minor flooding again yesterday after heavy rain, fear proposals to build more houses will only cause more problems.

Homes could be built as part of a £750 million mixed development proposed by developers Broadhall Hampton Ltd for the Llanwern steelworks site.

But Newport city council has not yet received a planning application, and the scale of the development is unknown.

David Williams, (pictured) and his wife Joan, both in their 70s, have lived at Tennyson Avenue, in the village, for about 40 years.

"Some years ago I fought a campaign where we opposed others wanting to come in and develop in the village, not on the Not In My Back Yard principle but because of the increase in flooding problems in the area. But it seems I've got to keep on fighting the same battle.

"Our street wasn't affected this time, but the road into the village was. My daughter was too afraid to drive through all the water to come and pick my wife up for a hospital appointment."

Alan Whiting, 60, has lived in Llanwern for 30 years. The former community councillor, who works for Newport council's leisure department, said any building on the site would be a bad idea. "Any development will take away the natural sponge of the ground.

"It floods pretty frequently here anyway - it's just something we have had to get used to, living below sea level."

Llanwern councillor Steve Down said: "The area is very prone to flooding and any development will exacerbate that."

A spokeswoman for Newport council said when there was a planning application from the developers the highways authority, Environment Agency and others would be consulted.

Sandbags were yesterday sent to the village after one report of flooding at Monk's Ditch. Later the risk lifted.

The Environment Agency said it had spent £30,000 in the village over the last two financial years to try to alleviate the worst of the problems.