A controversial scheme for more than 150 new village homes on fields beside an ancient Roman lane can go ahead, after Welsh Government planners refused to ‘call it in’, reports Nick Hartland.

Dozens of objections were lodged against Bovis Homes’ bid to build 155 homes at Vinegar Hill in Undy, and protestors had hoped the Government would intervene after Monmouthshire Council gave the new estate the green light.

Ward county councillor Lisa Dymock said the development would “lay siege to our village”, while the parish council said “one of the oldest highways in the community dating back to Roman times” should be protected.

But rejecting the challenge, WG senior decisions manager Kris Hawkins said the ‘hybrid’ proposal for fields on either side of Vinegar Hill lane was mainly on land allocated for housing in the Local Development Plan and “does not conflict with national or local policies”.

And there could be even more housing in the village, three miles from Caldicot, with new proposals to build nine homes on the old Tythe House site off Church Road, which could date back to Roman times.

Mr Hawkins said of the 155-home scheme: “It is unlikely to have wide effects beyond the immediate locality and, whilst there has been some opposition to the application, it is local in nature and is not likely to cause substantial controversy beyond the immediate locality.”

The development approved by the council in January includes full permission for 72 homes and outline permission for a further 83 on another parcel of neighbouring land.

Residents protested about the loss of green space, road safety, the lack of infrastructure in the village to cope with the new homes, and the location of some houses near the M4 – where planning guidance says “permission should not normally be granted”.

But the WG officer’s letter to Monmouthshire Council said the local authority had “carried out a thorough assessment of this issue and comes to a reasonable conclusion”.

It added that the council had considered the provision of recreational and amenity open space within the development, as well as a proposal to secure funding by way of a section 106 agreement for additional school places, while “a thorough assessment” had been undertaken of road safety issues.

Meanwhile, the site off Church Road is currently vacant after the former Tythe House and its outbuildings – known to have been in existence at the time of the Undy Tithe Map in 1840 and possibly dating back to early medieval times – were knocked down some eight years ago.

It is now recorded as an archaeological site, with the potential for historic remains considered ‘high’, with several buildings and burials dating back to the Roman times having been found within 200 metres.

A planning statement on behalf of GHR Developments of Penarth says at least part of the former building may have been medieval and a programme of archaeological work could be agreed before any work takes place.

“There is a strong link with these former buildings and the ecclesiastical history of the village of Undy,” it says.

“Furthermore, if present, the impact of the development upon them would be high.

“Overall, the impact of the development on this potential heritage asset is considered to be major.”

But it adds that the new proposed scheme “represents a more efficient use of the site”, with a housing density which “reflects the character and appearance of the surrounding area”.

The layout of the homes is planned to mirror those nearby at Bridwell Gardens, by maintaining a cul-de-sac form of development.