110 homes in border county set for approval

Twm Owen Local Democracy Reporter

A Kent-based company’s plans for up to 110 new homes on farmland beside a new residential estate in Monmouthshire are set for approval. 

Planners are recommending the housing development, which is an extension of a 340 home estate that has already been built, is approved when the application is considered by councillors on Tuesday, September 9. 

Monmouthshire County Council has received 155 objections to the plans for land at Drewen Farm and Monmouth Town Council has called for the application to be refused. 

The two fields are next to the Kingswood Gate residential development and form the Wonastow Road site that was allocated for 450 homes in the county council’s development plan. 

Members of the county council’s planning committee are being advised to approve the application but agree Section 106 legal agreements are in place that as well as ensuring 35 per cent of the homes are “affordable” will require a contribution of around £58,000 from the developer towards a play area as well as around £190,000 for maintaining a nature site, walking and cycling routes and a bus service.

Concerns

Applicants Vistry Group, registered in West Malling, Kent, will also be expected to pay a £439,652 contribution towards education costs in Monmouth and a further legal agreement between it and the council’s highways department will cover construction to existing roads Kingfisher Way and Belle Etoile Drive which will become access roads to the estate. 

The agreement will also cover the proposed emergency access and proposed improvements on Watery Lane. 

Monmouth Town Council had objected and suggested construction traffic should use an access from Wonastow Estate and Rockfield Road. 

The town council said: “As an established estate, Kingswood Gate residents, including young children, are already using the space freely and there are serious concerns regarding the health and safety if construction vehicles are using the residential streets as access.” 

It has also raised concerns over flooding, but noted a mitigation plan has been put  forward, the impact on doormice and that the site was previously an army rifle range. 

Members of the public have also raised fears over the impact of new residential and construction traffic.

Planning condition

The county council has said it will require a construction traffic management plan for the construction phase but has said its highways department is satisfied with proposed access for the completed development through Kingfisher Way and Belle Etoile Drive. 

A report has suggested that would see an additional 39 vehicles using Belle Etoile Drive and 21 on Kingfisher Way during peak times and as the site has been designed with an emphasis on active travel, such as walking and cycling it is expected vehicle trips can be further reduced. 

A proposed planning condition will also prevent construction and residential traffic from accessing the site from Watery Lane with access onto it retained for pedestrians/cyclists and emergency vehicle access only. 

The application is due to be considered by planning committee, when it meets at County Hall in Usk, at 2pm on Tuesday, October 9.