PROPOSALS to build up to 115 homes in Abergavenny could be given the go ahead after planning officers recommended them for approval.

The outline application for development on land at Grove Farm off Gypsy Lane, Llanfoist, will be scrutinised by Monmouthshire planning committee on Tuesday.

A council report states that accommodation could be a mixture of two to five bed detached, semi-detached and terraced dwellings if plans progress to reserved matters.

Subject to approval, the use of the site will be split – 2.81 hectares will be dedicated to the developable area while the remaining 2.43 hectares is proposed to be used for drainage provision, footpaths and cycle ways, open space and play areas.

The application comes as an early review of the LDP (Local Development Plan) for the area was recommended as a result of the need to address growing demand for housing in the area.

The most recent Joint Housing Land Availability Study (JHLAS) from April 2016, shows that Monmouthshire County Council has a housing supply shortfall of 588 dwellings.

According to the applicants, this represents an “evident and urgent need” to deliver affordable housing.

A report reads: “The proposed development would - subject to viability - help to provide a proportion of the required affordable annual need in Monmouthshire.

“The delivery of suitable windfall sites will be essential to ensuring that an adequate supply of housing can be maintained.”

The plans have been met with opposition from Llanfoist Community Council, which recommended it be refused on the grounds that the area is a greenfield site and that it was outside the LDP.

Their response also referred to Gypsy Lane being used as an alternative for traffic when the nearby Llanellen Bridge is closed due to flooding.

A total of nine objections have also come from residents, with one representation claiming that Usk and Llanfoist have made a “disproportionate contribution” to housing development compared to other areas in Monmouthshire.

Another objector raised issues of Llanfoist Fawr Primary School being oversubscribed, which is confirmed by the council.

The school currently has 205 pupils on roll and a capacity of 210, which the council admits is unlikely to accommodate the 26 additional students that are being anticipated.

However it is projected that the Abergavenny area is projected to have 227 surplus places in September this year and 257 in September 2021.

The application has also received support from some residents, with one retired couple citing their desire to live in Llanfoist.

Another said it would give opportunity for young people to get on the property ladder.