Cattle market plan in doubt (From Free Press Series)

Cattle market plan in doubt

THREE Monmouthshire councillors have called in the council's decision over the redevelopment of the Abergavenny cattle market site.

The county council's cabinet last month chose the company to carry out the project, but some of the councillors were not happy, and a special joint meeting of the resources and customer services and environment select committees will meet today to discuss the decision.

Cllr Douglas Edwards, the Liberal Democrat member from Abergavenny was one of the three councillors who called in the decision.

He said: "We feel there are inadequate financial safeguards. The scheme is substantially different from that granted planning permission five months ago.

"Consequently the town council and the people of Abergavenny need to be consulted, as well as people from the whole of the Bryn y Cwm area.

"To proceed with all interested parties would be a serious error of judgement."

Cllr Edwards said he was grateful to be allowed to speak at the cabinet meeting where the decision was taken, and he hoped he would be able to address the meeting today.

The call-in has been signed by another Liberal Democrat member, Cllr Eileen Goodrich of Monmouth and Independent Cllr Simon Howarth of Gilwern.

The council's deputy chief executive Murray Andrews explained the call-in procedure. He said: "There are now three options. The joint committees can agree the decision or refer it back to the cabinet and ask them to reconsider.

" Or they could ask for the decision to be considered by the full council. Whatever happens the final decision will still be made by the cabinet, unless the full council approves their original decision."

The next council meeting is on Thursday, September 9.

When the cabinet met behind closed doors on July 28 they chose the developer for the cattle market, after final bids for the scheme were considered from two companies, who had been whittled down from an original list of 23.

The council's planning committee agreed in February to grant permission for the site to be redeveloped with a 25,000 sq ft foodstore, plus 31 flats, a new library and offices in the former slaughterhouse. The scheme also includes the provision of a new livestock market, and the site is believed to be somewhere in Llanfoist.

But the council's cabinet later asked officers to investigate the feasibility of building a new cinema on the site, and it is believed that some of the shortlisted development companies had drawn up plans for this.

The press and public will not be informed of the chosen developer until all the legal agreements are drawn up.