A WELSH Government inspector has refused a planning application for land west of Rockfield Road.

Following an inquiry held at Monmouth's Shire Hall last month, inspector Kay Sheffield has rejected an appeal lodged by land planners Hallam Land Management Ltd, and ruled out the possibility of building up to 145 new homes on the site.

The application to build on land adjacent to the recent Park Glyndwr estate was first lodged in 2008, and after failing to make a decision, an appeal was made against Monmouthshire County Council by the company in 2013 for 'non determination'.

Before the inquiry, the council's planning department returned a decision to refuse the application.

Mrs Sheffield chaired the meeting of council planning representatives and the corporate land planners, and returned her report on 20th January. In the document she dismisses the appeal and furthermore refuses the application for planning.

She cites issues such as the damage to the landscape and its location outside the town boundary as reasons for refusal.

Mrs Sheffield has also written of problems with prematurity because the Local Development Plan was yet to be finalised at the time of the report. The site in question was mentioned in the LDP as a possible alternative planning location.

George Ashworth, head of planning place and enterprise at Monmouthshire County Council, said: "Having contested the proposal for up to 145 dwellings on the site west of Rockfield Road as being contrary to the Development Plan, we are obviously pleased with the outcome of the Appeal Inquiry.

"The council has always supported having a Development Plan-led system for major planning decisions, and the appeal inspector's support for this stance is particularly gratifying.

"Furthermore, we now know that the Local Development Plan Inspector has also not supported the site's allocation for housing development, so the protection of the land as part of the countryside will continue."

At the inquiry, an application for costs was also made by Hallam Land Management against the council. This application is the subject of a separate decision.

Hallam Land Management were not available for comment at the time of going to press.