Message from MCC:

In light of the changing circumstances surrounding COVID-19 and following yesterday’s announcement by the Government, the decision has been made to postpone the RLDP engagement events detailed below until further notice. The consultation period and opportunity to submit candidate sites remain open, but the deadline for both will be extended accordingly. We will reschedule the events that have not yet taken place (drop in events at Abergavenny, Chepstow, Magor, Caldicot and Usk), as well as attendance at Community Council Clusters and Area Committees, but unfortunately cannot confirm a timescale for that yet. We will publicise the new consultation deadline in due course.

Recent speculation that Boris Johnson’s Government could reopen the Welsh Government’s decision to reject the M4 Relief Road has been dismissed in Wales.  Road building is a devolved matter and a Heathrow-type legal decision could block any decision contrary to climate change policies.

The County Council has begun a consultation on its Preferred Strategy for the Replacement Local Development Plan 2018-2033.  The strategy  puts forward a need to accommodate 4,700 additional jobs and 8,200 new homes, 3,500 of them on new allocations of land.  There is a particular emphasis on affordable homes and policies that address the Climate Emergency.  The documents and consultation arrangements are available at  https://www.monmouthshire.gov.uk/planning-policy/planning-policy-current-consultations/

Written responses are required by 22 April.