At a meeting today, Tuesday 27^th September 2022, the Council endorsed a new direction for its Local Development Plan to ensure sustainable growth in the county.

Monmouthshire County Council is working to replace its existing Local Development Plan with a new plan that sets out development opportunities until 2033.  The new Plan will allocate land for development, designate areas for protection and contain policies to provide the basis for deciding planning applications.

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.

“The housing that we create will need to match the people’s ability to pay.  Development will be informed by the Local Housing Market Assessment which shows that 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. New sites will be supplemented by opportunities for existing town centre sites to be regenerated or redeveloped and will help those places become ever more successful.

“By the end of this year we will identify key strategic sites in both the north and south of the county. My ambition is that these sites will be exciting, exemplar places developments that showcase the best that can be achieved anywhere in the United Kingdom. Homes will be net zero carbon ready in construction and in liveability and the communities will be well connected with existing towns and villages, adding to their sustainability. The LDP will be accompanied by an Infrastructure Plan and updated Local Transport Plan to ensure essential infrastructure is delivered.

“There is currently a problem in delivering new housing and employment in the catchment areas of our polluted rivers. We are working hard with stakeholders including Natural Resources Wales and Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water to identify and implement solutions. However, at present there is no identified strategic solution for the River Wye catchment and this affects the growth of the town of Monmouth in particular. This will have some effect on the location of our future development as we work to ensure that development has no detrimental effect on river quality. Our growth ambition secures the economic, social and cultural sustainability of Monmouthshire’s communities without comprising the environmental sustainability.

The Council has endorsed a path forward for the county which is sustainable, affordable and exciting.” concluded Councillor Griffiths.

Following Council’s decision today, a new Preferred Strategy will be presented to Council on 1^st December to seek agreement to commence public consultation over an eight-week period in December 2022 and January 2023.