IF there were awards for the ugliest, biggest eyesore, blot on the landscape and completely out-of-character properties, then the new houses being built on the land formerly owned by Newport Town Council on Parrog Road, Newport would win by a mile.

Following the sale of the land to Wales & West Housing, affordable housing is being built on the site, however these properties have been crammed in, with no gardens, little parking, and basically they resemble cardboard boxes.

The public convenience that was on the site, years ago, had more character and looked considerably better than these, although at first glance you could easily be mistaken that this development is a toilet block and not houses.

One of the busiest and most popular roads in Newport has been ruined, travelling up from the Parrog Beach, rather than seeing the scenic mountains in the background, you now see this eyesore above you; they are not even at ground level, being elevated high above the road.

Newport prides itself on tourism, being a quiet, picturesque town; and now visitors to the town can claim they have seen what are probably the ugliest properties in the county.

They are not in keeping with surrounding properties, the building work has caused considerable disruption for months, and looking at the state of the site, this disruption will continue for months to come, however it would be better to spend the remaining time demolishing the properties instead of completing them.

Newport Town Council refused to allow this site to be turned into a much-needed public car park, as there was a need for ‘affordable housing’. There are plenty of other areas in the town that would be suitable for housing, however when council homes come available in the town, they are awarded to strangers from afar, and not local people.

It is easy for the ‘strangers,’ with no connection to the town, be it on the board of Wales & West Housing, or the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park development committee, to give permission for such a development, however none of them have probably visited the site, and none of them have to look at it on a daily basis. If this was built in their home towns, they would not be happy.

Newport town councillors should be ashamed that they allowed this to happen, should apologise and resign for causing such a disaster in the town.

At least, following this, neither the town council nor the national park can dare refuse planning permission for any application in the future, as nothing can cause more damage to the town of Newport than this development.

THE VAST MAJORITY OF NEWPORT RESIDENTS,

Submitted

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