A PLAN to build up to 6,210 houses in Monmouthshire before 2033 which includes up to 1,910 affordable homes and sites for 6,240 new jobs is off to a rocky start.

The ‘preferred’ revised Replacement Local Development Plan (RLDP) strategy for 2018-2033 was unanimously rejected at a council scrutiny committee which expressed concerns at a number of aspects of the updated plan as the council has now declared a climate emergency.

Chairing the meeting, Councillor Lisa Dymock said: “There are some rather large concerns from members who are unhappy to endorse this report.”

The committee voiced its concerns over infrastructure and the impact on existing services, including transport, education and health, the saturation of housing in the south of the county and they also wanted more information on affordable housing plans and protection for agricultural land.

Changes to the ‘revised’ plan include an added site for 270 houses off Dixton Road - a site which appeared in 2015 on a previous plan - and an amended site allocation within Chepstow of Mounton Road for approximately 145 homes and commercial development (hotel and possibly a care home).

The plan was unanimously rejected at a Place Scrutiny Committee of Monmouthshire County Council following examination of the amendments to the RLDP, the blueprint for new housing and employment in Monmouthshire up to 2033

Three existing sites from the previous development plan, delayed by the impact of phosphate pollution on the River Wye, are also now included.

These are: Drewen Farm, Monmouth – approximately 110 homes; Tudor Road, Wyesham – approximately 35 to 50 homes; Rockfield Road, (land with planning permission) – approximately 70 homes.

With Welsh Water committing to improve the Wastewater Treatment facilities and the Welsh Government confident that new sites can now be identified, MCC feel they can now forge ahead with new and existing housing developments in Monmouth and Chepstow.

But concerns were raised by Wyesham’s independent councillor Emma Bryn who asked how Monmouth could be included with the plan as it says development is concentrated on the most sustainable locations. She said Monmouth has poor public transport and people would be reliant on private vehicles adding to pressure on the A40 trunk road that is already at capacity.

She added: “I would challenge anyone to use the bus services to access work in Newport, Hereford or Gloucester as the services are neither frequent or reliable and often non-existent.”

Osbaston Conservative councillor Jane Lucas, said: “You want to try catching a bus here in Monmouth, it’s mission impossible.”

At this meeting, members also heard from David Cummings, former head of Monmouth’s Chamber of Commerce.

He spoke in opposition to Monmouth being allocated “a huge increase of 230 per cent more housing in the September version of the Preferred Strategy of this RLDP.

“Other towns have stayed the same or have increases in single digits. Nowhere in 168 page document does it explain the build up to an increase of 634 houses in the various columns. It only explains where 270 will be on one Candidate Site and refers to those sites now freed by the lifting of the phosphate ban.”

He said two principles should be followed: build houses near to jobs; provide excellent public transport to travel from house to job.

“At the present time there are no possibilities of major new employers moving to Monmouth, so this means more out migration to work for the owners of the new houses and more pollution on A40. Public transport is a bit of a joke, two hours on a bus to get to Newport. The Cardiff Capital City Region Deal did not give Monmouth a metro or a new rail link.

“Sewage treatment current capacity at 100 per cent. What will Welsh Water, who are struggling to fix the phosphate issue on the Wye by 2026, think of more sewage to treat? State schools running at nearly 100 per cent capacity, Both doctors surgeries need to move to larger premises to cope with existing demand.”

Head of planning Craig O’Connor, said the direction from Welsh Government is that new housing should be “focused on primary settlements” where services and employment are already located to reduce the need for people to travel.