Major housing plans to be decided

Three major housing developments which could bring hundreds of new homes to Monmouthshire are set to be decided.

Long-standing plans for new developments in Portskewett, Caldicot and Raglan have all been recommended for approval when they come before the county council’s planning committee next week.

If given the green light, the outline planning applications could bring a total of more than 500 homes to the county, and help plug a sizeable shortfall in affordable housing.

But the plans are not without controversy, with apprehension expressed over the impact of each of the three planned developments.

The most significant application concerns the 291 houses – including 73 affordable homes, seven bungalows and an open play area – proposed on land south of Crick Road near Portskewett.

Melin Homes also wants to build a 48-bed care home to provide round-the-clock care for dementia patients, replacing the Severn View facility in Chepstow.

The main access would be on the B4245, with plans to widen part of the road which bridges over a disused railway track to create a footpath between the development and Caldicot.

But the proposals have received more than 70 objections, particularly from residents living in Treetops where a secondary access is planned to the north of the estate.

Concerns include the impact on “oversubscribed” schools and health surgeries, an increase in traffic and highways safety issues, and fears that the small village of Portskewett would “lose its identity”.

But the council’s highways department say the development “would not lead to a deterioration in highway safety or capacity on the highway network”.

If outline permission is granted, Melin Homes will be expected to sign a section 106 agreement worth than £1.3 million.

The agreement would pay for play area provisions onsite and elsewhere, provide funds for local schools, and contribute towards an improved bus service to Caldicot town centre.

Other potential projects include the redevelopment of the railway line, which once served the RAF base in Caerwent, into a ‘green corridor’ and improvements to Caldicot Castle Country Park.

Crick Road was one of seven strategic housing sites planned into the council’s local development plan (LDP), which has since been scrapped after housebuilding targets were missed.

The council sold the site to Melin Homes last November following a protracted bidding process.

The second biggest application is to build up to 130 homes and a new community park in Caldicot.

The application seeks permission for a new development on land east of Church Road, and would include 35 per cent affordable housing.

Planning officers have recommended the development is approved at a meeting on Tuesday, despite concerns there is “insufficient infrastructure” in the area.

Caldicot Town Council has called for the application to be refused, voicing worries over the impact on traffic congestion on Church Road as well as school capacity and health concerns.

The town council also points out that the site is outside of Monmouthshire’s Local Development Plan (LDP).

But a report prepared ahead of next week’s decision points out that the council’s policy is that developments outside the LDP will still be considered if acceptable in planning terms, as the authority attempts to plug a sizeable shortfall within its five-year housing land supply.

Caerwent Community Council has also raised concerns over the development increasing traffic in the village.

But the report says the developers have amended a traffic assessment to address the issue.

It notes that the development will ‘inevitably’ bring increased traffic but says the road network is capable of accommodating the rise.

The plans include building a range of different house types and creating new green spaces.

A four-hectare community park will also be created and woodland areas will form part of the new development.

A financial contribution of £25,000 will be required for the installation of informal play equipment in the community park.

More than half of the site will be retained as green open space for the public to enjoy under the plans.

A council report notes the plans would help meet a “significant shortfall” of housing developments in the south of the county.

“This is a sustainable location on the edge of a settlement within walking distance of community facilities and with good public transport links,” it adds.

And controversial plans to build up to 111 homes on land south of Monmouth Road in Raglan will also be decided.

The plans have been recommended for approval despite strong opposition, including a march attended by more than 100 campaigners at the weekend.