A deputy leader of Monmouthshire County Council (MCC) has admitted he doesn't know the finer details of the sale of the Wonastow Road LDP site.

The site was chosen by councillors last year as the preferred place for Monmouth to take its share of houses under the LDP (local development plan) but has since been sold to a private development company.

At a meeting of full council last Thursday (26th July), Monmouth councillor Bob Hayward asked cabinet member for modernisation and enterprise, deputy leader Bob Greenland, if he was aware of any details of the sale and whether the site should be withdrawn from the plan.

"At the special meeting of MCC on 1st July 2011 you stated 'the Wonastow Road site fell within the Regeneration Fund in Wales'. The site has now been sold by the Regeneration Fund in Wales to South Wales Land Development Ltd, which is a private development company with no ties to the Welsh Government or MCC," said Cllr Hayward.

"Is the cabinet member aware of any details of the sale and if he isn't then should the site not be withdrawn from our LDP since we cannot be sure that any of the perceived benefits put forward will take place?"

"The answer is no, I'm not aware," said Cllr Greenland.

"It is up to the council to put forward proposals and we can expect other benefits but can't be specific about what they are.

"Whoever takes on the site will have to ensure parts of the infrastructure are in place before any houses are built.

"I saw a FoI [Freedom of Information] request had been submitted and assumed it was from you [Cllr Hayward], and I was not surprised to see the answer did not include the price of the sale."

Cllr Greenland also said the plan was always for the Welsh Government to sell the Wonastow Road plot.

"It doesn't matter who owns the site," he said.

Cllr Hayward said he had been unable to find out any details of the sale himself, but did not submit the FoI request.