Monmouthshire County Council has endorsed a new direction for its Local Development Plan to ensure sustainable growth in the county.  Cllr Paul Griffiths, the Council’s Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Sustainable Economy, said: “Our proposals would set the county on the path for growth which meets the housing needs of the population, allows for economic growth and ensures that young people can choose to live in the county.’’

In contrast to 2021 proposals for nearly 8,400 new homes 2018-33, with 3,700 on new land allocations, which drew criticism from Welsh Government and locally, the new strategy will aim for 5.940 homes and 2,000 on new sites.

Paul Griffiths emphasised the need for affordable housing: “The housing that we create will need to match the people’s ability to pay…. 33% of homes on new sites will need to be social housing for rent and another 17% will need to be at less than market price or market rent. We will work with the Welsh Government, Registered Social Landlords and house developers to ensure that this is achieved.’’

Most of the new housing and employment sites will be focused on the county’s most sustainable towns, but development at Monmouth and elsewhere in the River Wye catchment will be on hold until a solution to the problem of phosphate pollution can be delivered. New housing sites will be supplemented by opportunities for existing town centre sites to be regenerated or redeveloped.

Officers will now be preparing the new Preferred Strategy for Council agreement that consultation takes place for eight weeks around the turn of the year.  It will identify key strategic sites in both the north and south of the county, which Cllr Griffiths aims to be exemplary with zero carbon homes and other environmental qualities.

MCC’s media release is at Monmouthshire County Council endorses a new direction for sustainable growth in the county – Monmouthshire

Abergavenny and Crickhowell FoE will be showing Damon Gameau’s inspirational and positive Australian film ‘2040’ at Abergavenny Community Centre (car park off Merthyr Road) at 3.00pm on Sunday, 3 October.  The 90-minute film will be accompanied by refreshments and there will be an optional discussion after the film.

Book your free place at www.friendsoftheearthabandcrick.wales.

To support the delivery of Future Wales, the Design Commission for Wales are preparing an update to Designing Wind Farms in Wales. This will be the further guidance that is referred to in Future Wales on the development of on-shore wind. In addition to wind energy, the update will consider the wider renewables opportunity in Wales including solar.

The Commission have started a consultation on this work.  You can find out more information and how to share your views here. Following the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, the consultation period has been extended and will close on 7 October 2022.

An officers’ report to the County Council’s Place Scrutiny Committee on 15 September considers options and makes a recommendation for progressing the Replacement Local Development Plan following last year’s Welsh Government concerns.  This will be the first formal opportunity for the Council elected in May and its new Administration to consider its position.

Agenda for Place Scrutiny Committee on Thursday, 15th September, 2022, 12.30 pm (monmouthshire.gov.uk)

Mourning for the passing of the late Queen has led to the postponement of this meeting, seemingly until 26 September. The recommendation appears to support the controversial 2021 increased housing growth rate except in the Monmouth/Wye Valley area where phosphoric river pollution issues are unlikely to be solved in the plan period.  However, we will be trying to clarify the figures in the report.