VILLAGERS who oppose the construction of up to 111 homes on a greenfield site in Raglan have presented their objections to a planning inspector.
Hywel Wyn Jones heard arguments on behalf of the site's developers, as well as from campaigners, at a public hearing at County Hall, Usk, yesterday.
READ MORE: Villagers march to oppose plan for 111 houses
The outline application for the homes off Monmouth Road, Raglan, was called in by the Welsh Government after being approved by Monmouthshire County Council.
Applicant Richborough Estates say the development will bring a valuable contribution to the area. It is, the firm said, well-located and would bring economic and employment opportunities to the village – both in the short term, with construction jobs, and in the long term by increasing local spending.
The site would also provide up to 39 affordable homes, the applicant said.
READ MORE: Contentious plan for up to 111 homes in village backed by councillors for a second time
But speaking to the Argus outside County Hall, where a protest took place before the hearing, opposition campaigners said the proposals would put unreasonable pressures on Raglan.
"We feel the development is just too large for the village infrastructure to stand," Helen Ronchetti, secretary of the Raglan Village Action Group, said.
She said access to the countryside would be ruined, and there was no more room in the village school. Villagers have held several protests since the plans were first announced, and have received the support of local councillor Penny Jones, Nick Ramsay AM, and David Davies MP.
Colwyn Knight, another protester, said: "We’ve already conceded a site in Chepstow Road, Raglan, for 45 houses. With this 111 on top of that – if you look at the population of Raglan – it will be a more than 30 per cent in the number of houses, which is absolutely incredulous, and shows the village can’t sustain that element of growth."
The public hearing was scheduled to conclude yesterday with Mr Jones making a visit to the proposed site on Monmouth Road, before submitting his findings to the Welsh Government.
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