NEWPORT councillors today voted in favour of allowing the scheme to replace Durham Road School with a new building on a former waste tip to go on to its planning committee.

The plans for the Glebelands site must now go before the council's planning committee, who still have the power to reject them.

Members of the planning committee left this morning's meeting of the full council while members heard a presentation of a risk assessment carried out on the site so they could make an unbiased decision.

The council heard that although the land is currently contaminated there would be no risk to human health if remedial work is carried out and the land is capped.

The Glebeland Action Group, which has campaigned against the school being built on the site, were furious about the decision.

John Martin, a member of GAG, said: "This is just window-dressing. Whatever you do, the risk will still be there."