RESIDENTS are vowing to do everything in their power to prevent housing being built on their community park.

Dozens of people turned up at the play area in Barrack Hill, Newport, on a damp Saturday morning to demonstrate against the proposal.

The green space, which includes a children's playground, is owned by Newport council, who want to sell it off to a developer and is applying for planning permission for five dwellings.

Residents are opposed to the plan on a number of grounds, including:

* The removal of a public right of way.

* Increased traffic on an already busy road.

* Loss of children's play area.

A letter attached to their petition said it was their intention to fight the plan with "whatever means are deemed necessary", and added that there were many areas of Newport which were ideal for development.

Protester Angela Hill, who organised the petition, explained that it was the only park in the area and was well used by local children. She added that they also had serious safety concerns about the road, and felt more houses would only make the problem worse.

"It is a dangerous road. A child was knocked down here recently and we have had fatalities."

The residents were joined by Allt-yr-yn councillors David Fouweather and Matthew Evans, who are supporting their campaign.

Councillor Fouweather said: "We had a big battle last year to save Glasllwch playing-fields and we won. We saved that one and we are going to save this one."

The planned development is on the border of both the Allt-yr-yn and Shaftesbury wards, and the two Shaftesbury councillors, Paul Cockeram and Bob Poole, have organised a public meeting at the Shaftesbury OAP complex in Evans Street at 6pm on January 19 to discuss it.

Councillor Fouweather was angry that the Labour members had not informed the Conservative councillors in the Allt-yr-yn ward about the meeting.