WORRIED residents last night debated Newport council's controversial plans to build a primary school on a former waste tip.

And a meeting of St Julians neighbourhood committee was told by a senior planning officer that Newport council will "always put children's safety first."

Newport council's David Griffiths told residents discussing the plan to replace the Durham Road Schools with a new site on the Glebelands in Newport that the grounds will be examined by toxicologists before any planning permission is granted.

Mr Griffiths told the meeting: "Newport council have always put the safety of children first." Mr Griffiths also said that if the plans to replace the overcrowded Durham Road schools were approved, the landfill site would be sealed before building started.

He also indicated that a preferred developer for the new school has been chosen by Newport council and plans had been drawn up.

The meeting was held at the Caerleon Road Methodist Chapel and among those present were members of the Glebelands Campaign Committee (GCC), and a group of residents strongly opposed to the council plans.

Speaking after the two hour meeting, Chris Hill, from the GCC said: "We do not think we are any further forward. We still believe that the council will not be able to make this site 100 per cent safe."

The Children's Commissioner for Wales, Peter Clarke is set to attend Newport council's next full meeting on Tuesday, when the issue will again be raised.

Mr Clarke has already expressed "a degree of unease" about the plans after the publication of a report in August linking landfill sites with birth defects.The Glebelands site has been contaminated with toxins over the years when it was used as a tip. Newport council has said it will clean up the site before a school would be built.