RESIDENTS in Torfaen vowed to do all they can to stop plans to build 1,200 new homes on the last remaining green land between two villages.

People living near land west of Cwmbran Drive between Pontnewydd and south Sebastopol say such a scheme would be a “catastrophic” loss of green space, beautiful scenery and protected wildlife such as bats.

Carole Jacob, of Friends of the Earth Torfaen, whose husband Mike started the campaign group “Fight the Plan”, against similar proposals in the 1990s, said the group would do all it could to keep the site a public place.

She said: “Our position is much the same. We still believe that this is not the place for new homes.”

Neighbour Bryan Davies, 47, said new homes were not needed in the area and Mary Morgan, 64, whose house backs onto the site said she will lose her beautiful view if plans are resubmitted this Autumn as expected.

David Daniels, 22, said the council should do more to market the green areas in the borough instead of losing them to housing.

Panteg councillor Kathleen Williams is supporting the campaigners and said she was “devastated” to lean the plans were to be resubmitted.

“Fight the Plan” managed to delay the previous scheme for nine years but the group admitted defeat after a judicial review failed in 2005.

The proposals, which included 1,200 new homes, a community centre, shops, playing fields and a school, were later approved by Torfaen council that year, but developers did not complete a legal agreement in time so it never went ahead.

Now a development consortium including the Welsh Development Agency, Crest Strategic Projects Ltd and Barratt South Wales, has decided to refresh the plans, which are expected to be submitted this autumn.

Once the application is submitted the council will consult local people, including re-contacting those who expressed comments on the original application.