LUXURIOUS riverside apartments could be built at the gateway to a historic Gwent town if a planning application is given the go-ahead.

Martyn Richards, co-owner of Hanbury Garage at Uskside, Caerleon, applied to Newport city council for permission to demolish the garage and build 16 flats on the site.

Mr Richards, 48, ran the franchised filling station and Londis shop with his mother, Joyce Richards, until it closed in December.

Mrs Richards and her late husband, Reg Richards, bought the garage and workshop in 1963, then mother and son turned it into a filling station and shop when Reg died in 1990.

Mr Richards said: "We are looking at building 16 luxury flats. "We are going to have a small local community here. They will be luxury riverside apartments for businessmen or retired people.

"We can't put a price on them yet. "If and when we do get consent we will sit down to work it out. "We could sell it to a property developer or we may do it ourselves."

The property is in a conservation area and Mr Richards has to apply for conservation area consent before his plans can be considered. Caerleon councillor Gail Giles said the proposal had brought the residents concerns about traffic.

"I would have to look at the proposal in more detail, but at this moment flats would not be appropriate on that piece of land because of the traffic and location.

"The main issue in Caerleon is the traffic, and the main concern is that any new residential development would mean more traffic."

But Mike Cooke, landlord of the nearby Hanbury Arms, said: "We miss the garage and shop, but as long as the flats are in keeping with the architecture in the rest of the town I can't see a problem with them."

Mrs Richards lives in a bungalow on the site and also owns two acres of the field next door, which she lends to the annual Caerleon Arts Festival.

She said: "It was sad to see the garage close after so many years but we are hopeful about the plan for flats. I've told him I would like to live there." The plans will be considered by Newport council's planning committee at a future meeting.