CALDICOT councillors have recommended an amended application for housing on the site of a former paper mill in Monmouthshire for refusal. Harrow Estates and Redrow Homes want to build 212 houses on the site of the Sudbrook Paper Mill, near Portskewett. But Monmouthshire council has recommend at least a quarter of all new homes built by developers in the county are allocated as affordable. A latest application was re-submitted after amendments were made to another one last year. Yet, only 20 of the 212 houses in an amended application have been designated as affordable homes, over concerns they might be difficult to sell. Councillors at Caldicot Town Council recommended the application for refusal at a meeting last Wednesday. Councillors said they recommend the application for refusal due to access issues, concerns of negative impact on services in the area including schools, doctor's surgery and foodstores. Cllr David Evans, mayor of Caldicot, said: "There were concerns for the lack of affordable housing. The application only mentions 20 it should be a lot more than that. "There were concerns of the amount of extra traffic. There is only one way in and one way out." He added: "There were big concerns about the application. Especially on the transport side with the issues around access and no bus services." "We know there's a chemist up there but obviously it would put extra pressure on amenities such as doctor's surgeries in the area." The site is already allocated for housing in Monmouthshire council’s local development plan, which was passed in February 2014. Harrow Estates bought the site in March 2011 but saw an application for 340 homes turned down in October 2012, and appeals dismissed in October 2013 and May 2014. The council’s housing register shows that there are currently 500 households, the majority of whom on low incomes and unable to buy on the open market, who want to move to the Portskewett area. The application is due to go to Monmouthshire council's planning committee.
Redrow Homes and Harrow Estates’ amended planning application for the development of 212 houses on the site of the Sudbrook Paper Mill near Portskewett in South Wales has been recommended for refusal by Monmouthshire Council. Access issues, concerns about the potentially negative impact on the area’s services and apprehension regarding the limited number of homes designated as affordable housing, which amounted to 20 out of the 212 homes, were cited as the main reasons for refusal. The council’s housing register shows that 500 households currently require accommodation within the Portskewett area, many of whom are on low incomes and cannot afford to buy property on the open market. The application will go to the planning committee at Monmouthshire Council.