NEWPORT residents living opposite a derelict school say they would welcome a multimillion pound hospice for cancer patients which has been strongly objected to in another part of the city.

The Argus reported earlier this month that residents in Beechwood were campaigning against plans by the St David's Foundation for a £2.9 million hospice in Woodlands Park because they fear it will destroy important wild life and trees.

But people living on Westfield Way in Malpas say they would welcome the hospice on to the site of Westfield School, which has been derelict for almost a decade.

The school, formerly a centre for pupils with learning difficulties, has become a hot spot for antisocial behaviour including underage drinking, drug abuse, and youths setting fire to the derelict building.

Although Newport city council will put the school site on the open market at the end of October, residents say the hospice would be the best way to develop the site as they believe the area could not handle another housing development.

Many added the decision to destroy untouched woodland over the redevelopment of a brownfield site was “ridiculous”.

Alan Thomas, 73, said living on Westfield Way since pupils left the school in 2001 had been a “nightmare”.

“It just frustrates me when the city has got a policy of using brown field rather than green field sites they are developing a park instead of this eyesore.”

Jane Cole, who also lives on the street, agreed the hospice would be a good use of the run-down site.

“We would welcome the hospice. It’s nice for the city to be able to keep it’s green spaces and it seems silly to spend all the money in Beechwood when we have an area here that needs the development.”

Ray Cavill, chairman of Neighbourhood Watch on Westfield Way, urged anyone opposed to the development in Beechwood to point out the Westfield site in their objections.

“If St David’s and the council have got this £2.9 million then why can’t it be spent on building that’s already here rather than wrecking trees and natural habitat?”

The St David's Foundation will submit its plans for Woodlands Park to the city council's planning committee in the next few weeks.