Developer launches consultation on major housing scheme in south-east Wales

Twm Owen, Local Democracy Reporter

Plans for homes, a hotel and care home as well as a new park near to a notorious roundabout have been unveiled. 

The proposals for housing on fields at Mounton Road, Chepstow have been on the table for five years but have taken a step forward with Northamptonshire-based developers Barwood Land having launched a pre-application consultation. 

The consultation is required before a formal planning application can be submitted. It is intended to gather opinions on the proposals. 

Barwood Land intends submitting an outline application for the development which has been included in Monmouthshire County Council’s replacement local development plan. 

Mounton Road is the only “strategic”, large housing site in Chepstow included in the plan, which also earmarks land north of nearby Portskewett as suitable for 770 homes. 

Though the plan, intended to set out where new housing and employment sites are built in the county through to 2033, was narrowly approved by the full council in October it isn’t yet able to be adopted as the council’s planning policy as it must still be approved for use by an independent examiner. 

That process could result in substantial changes to the development plan which Chepstow Mount Pleasant ward councillor Paul Pavia has raised concern over. 

The Conservative, who voted against submitting the development plan for inspection, said: “While the developer is entitled to undertake a pre-application consultation, many residents are understandably frustrated that this is happening before the replacement local development plan has been finalised.  

“There is a real concern that people are being asked to comment on proposals when the strategic planning framework itself is not yet settled.” 

The developers have published lengthy documents detailing the proposals which could include up to 146 new homes, an 80-bed hotel and 60-bed care home as well as what is described as a “large community park”. 

They intend applying for outline planning permission with all details, such as design and layout, to be considered at a later date other than access.  

It’s planned vehicles will enter the site from the A466 Wye Valley Link Road with the intention the site directly connects to walking and cycling routes while all parts of the built development, concentratred on the eastern side next to the A466, will be within 400 metres of at least one set of bus stops. 

The site is bordered by the A48 and the Highbeech Roundabout to the south and Mounton Road to the north.

Affordable housing

Fifty per cent of the 146 homes will have to be affordable in line with Monmouthshire County Council’s intention half of all new homes brought forward in the development plan are affordable, which includes a mixture of low cost homes and those available for social rent. 

A design statement submitted with the application states Chepstow’s “gateway” location and proximity to the motorway and a “shortage of quality branded hotels in surrounding Monmouthshire” supports there being “strong demand” for a hotel. 

It’s thought it would create between 20 and 30 jobs as well as support additional employment in the supply chain while the report says there is a “significant shortfall in care home beds in the local area”. 

The site is north of the Highbeech Roundabout but the statement says development offers the “opportunity to safeguard land for future improvements” to the roundabout. 

It also highlights how land at the western part of the site will be used to creat a new park and states: “At the heart of the scheme is a publicly accessible Community Parkland, designed with a parkland character that frames the setting of the Grade II listed St Lawrence House.  

“This space will off er opportunities for recreation, wellbeing, and biodiversity enhancement, while serving as a visual and functional edge to the development.” 

Comments on the pre-application consultation closed on December 19 and the next stage is likely to be the submission of the outline planning application.