Severn Tunnel Junction car park plans revoked

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Tuesday, 7 December 2021 19:24

By Saul Cooke-Black - Local Democracy Reporter

Councillors have agreed to revoke planning permission for a new car park to serve Severn Tunnel Junction train station after the development was incorrectly approved.

Plans for the car park providing 172 spaces were granted approval by Monmouthshire council’s delegated panel in October.

However the decision was not in accordance with the council’s constitution as the local authority was the applicant and the plans faced objections.

Such applications are required to be decided by the council’s planning committee.

Councillors agreed to revoke the permission at a Monmouthshire council planning committee meeting on Tuesday.

Craig O’Connor, head of planning at the council, said the error came to the attention of the department following an internal investigation.

“This was a human error and it is very unfortunate that this has occurred,” he said.

“The application should have been presented to the planning committee for determination given that it’s a council application with objections to the proposals.”

Cllr Giles Howard backed revoking permission as the best way to “solve the issue”.

“We are all human, we are all prone to make mistakes,” he added.

Rogiet Community Council, which objected to the plans, wrote to the county council to challenge the original decision.

The plans for the car park include 10 spaces with electric vehicle charging points and a further 16 which could be converted in the future.

While the station already has parking facilities, there is a ‘shortfall’ of spaces which leads to parking on residential streets near to the station in Rogiet.

However objectors have raised concern over the development increasing traffic in the area.

The application will now come before a future meeting of Monmouthshire council’s planning committee for determination.

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