Agenda

In the RLDP, partly underpinning the need for more housing in Monmouthshire is the County Council’s ambition to create 6240 new jobs by 2033. Information from the Office of National Statistics and Nomis show that in the first 7 years of the RLDP just 600 jobs were created or put it another way, the employed workforce increased by just 1.7%. The workforce of the county would need to increase by 5640 jobs or 15.4 % by 2033 to achieve this goal. MCC appointed consultants, Lichfield’s, forecast a loss of 100 jobs in the period 2022 to 2042. Commercial estate agents, Avison Young, forecast a growth rate for top performing unitary authority, Cardiff, of just 4.1 in the five years to 2029. Does the county council now agree that its job forecast increase is, to say the least, widely optimistic?

In the RLDP the county council have created an extremely ambitious objective of achieving 50% social housing in the housing development sites selected. One of the stated objectives of the county council is to reduce the housing waiting list. In their own report entitled, Local Housing Market Assessment Refresh 2022 to 2037, it states that 80% of those on the housing waiting list are single and are seeking single bedroom accommodation. Surely a modern housing estate of detached and terrace houses will not suit those on the housing waiting list who are seeking single bed accommodation. Would not a better solution to be to build, close to good public transport and jobs, dedicated single bedroom accommodation in apartment blocks?

With regard to the Mounton Road site, and Policies H1 and H3, this site, in accordance with PPW edition 12 para 3.67 which requires local authorities to designate Green Wedges to prevent the coalescence of settlements and safeguard the views into and out of the area, has been designated as a Green wedge for the last 42 years in the 1983 Gwent Structure Plan, in the 1991 Gwent Structure Plan, has been reinforced as Green Space in the 2011 LDP, and there are alternative sites for the above proposals that do not impinge on this Green Space. Given the above, would you not agree that the majority of the residents of Chepstow are not in favour of development on the Mounton Road site, and that, given the recent refusals on the site and alternative suitable and available sites, there is no valid planning policy argument in favour of the proposals to develop the site and destroy the green wedge.