Fears traffic from Newport care home a risk to children

Children's safety will be put at risk by increased traffic if plans for a 72-bed care home in Newport are given the go-ahead, residents today claimed.

Proposals for the care home in Beechfields Way were unveiled to the public on Thursday. The three-storey facility would be run by Shropshire-based Marches Care and would specialise in dementia. Eleven houses would also be built.

About 50 people visited Cosy Hall to see a presentation on the plans and many said they were concerned about the development.

Jill Stork, who lives in Beechfields Way, said children played out on the street.

She said: "It's totally inappropriate. The fact they would build such a large business when the only access is through a residential area is crazy.

"We have lots of families with young children in the area and we have the luxury of having children playing outside safely.

"The extra traffic from the 11 houses, doctors, ambulances and staff would make it far more dangerous."

Jeff Nicklin, who also lives in Beechfields Way, said: "There are already 90 houses on the estate and just one exit road on and off.

"We've got no problems with having a dementia home if there was any other access. Where they are going to put it is ridiculous. Why couldn't they put it on the old Classic Furniture site or even where Focus was?"

Fellow Beechfields Way resident Kevin Haigh said residents would not give in without a fight.

"I find it ironic that people who want to build a care home are showing no care for people in the area," he said.

Marches Care bosses say the £4.5 million scheme would create about 100 permanent jobs.

Mandy Thorn, managing director of Marches Care, said: "The whole point of the consultation was for us to listen to what the public had to say."