It took just seven votes to put the proposal for 340 new houses down the Wonastow Road under starters orders.

The plan - already given the name of King’s Wood Gate by Taylor Wimpey, one of the developers - has been approved, but the detail of the materials to be used still needed the go-ahead from Monmouthshire County Council’s (MCC) Planning Committee.

The plot will not only have an industrial site, but will kick-start plans for an adjacent site at Drewen Farm, which will accommodate an extra 110 houses in the near future.

It was one of the longest debates the chairman, Councillor Ruth Edwards, could remember. A presentation was given by Mark Hand, MCC’s new planning chief, while planning officer Jo Draper answered questions and explained the number of changes made since the detailed plans were first revealed.

Originally the plans were for 370 houses, with 35 percent of those affordable houses. This was altered to avoid having a high density of houses, and create a ‘village settlement’ feel to the plot. The plans approved were for 340 houses, with 30 percent (104 houses) being a mix of social housing and low-cost affordable homes “pepper-potted through the site”.

Councillor Alan Wintle was unhappy that the number of houses available for starter homes was lower than first agreed upon in the outline permission. He said, “Monmouth and the surrounding area is short of low-cost housing, if we don’t get it on a site like this, where can we? There was no input into discussion on the reduction,” he added.

Cllr Bob Hayward was equally scathing about the whole plan saying, “There is so much wrong with this application. I have already talked about the lack of infrastructure in the town; the lack of roads, lack of parking, the lack of doctors, dentists, and the fact we are building a new comprehensive school that is smaller than the old one and yet we are introducing all these children here.”

He also criticised the “itty bitty” approach of planners and said that councillors needed to see the whole plan to make an informed decision on the site. “we need to see this plan and the additional houses at Trewen Farm side by side so we can see how this is going to destroy Monmouth.”?

Cllr Hayward also highlighted the proposed industrial site at the south end of the plan, through which residents will have to travel. “Initially we were told that it was to be for state-of-the-art industry,” he continued, “but now this has changed and we still have not seen a drainage plan for that part of the application. How can we grant this today without that information?”

The plan was passed by seven votes to two, with Cllrs Wintle and Hayward voting

against it.