OBJECTIONS to the Dixton Road development continue with comments from various Monmouthshire County Council (MCC) officers that do not appear on the planning portal. Planning officer, Jo Draper, assigned to the case has put together the document from the various departments which makes grim reading for the developers.

The site, which has a long history of development plans, is currently being proposed to include a Marston's family restaurant, a drive-through Costa Coffee, a McDonald's restaurant and a Pets at Home retail unit/ veterinary surgery with a total of 91 parking spaces to service the site.

The development has been recommended for refusal by Monmouth Town Council.

MCC's highway engineer says that the main highway and transportation concerns and issues raised have not been "fully considered nor addressed by the applicant" and is of the opinion that the site is under-provided in respect of parking.

He said: "It should also be noted that the Comprehensive School with some 1,600 plus pupils aged between 11 and 18 is less than 400 metres from the school parking entrance, a concern due to the limited footway provision.

He is also of the opinion that the site occupies a low lying position on the outskirts of the town and is prone to surface water ponding.

He recommends refusal of the application."

MCC's landscape officer also objects to the proposal as he is concerned that the proposal has not considered issues such as density of the development, car park layout and amount of hardstanding.

The council's conservation officer said that the nature of this proposed development would be visually detrimental and harmful to the setting of the historic town and would impact on the important views from the three nationally important locations of The Kymin, Great Doward Hillfort and Wyastone Leys Park and Garden that add to the local tourism and the setting of Dixton Church.

The planning officer, Jo Draper concluded: "There is without doubt significant concern with the proposal and still unanswered questions which can only be addressed through the provision of the further information as requested above."

She adds that the council is of the view that the issue of obesity and the proximity of fast food outlets to schools is a material planning consideration.

There are many concerns with the proposed development that in its existing form will be likely to lead to an officer recommendation for refusal."

She suggests that the developers either look at the additional information  that has been requested and address the queries raised, or alternatively withdraw the proposal and look to submit an informed application to address the concerns raised.

•Euro Garages Ltd, the company that has been given permission to rebuild the Raglan Services, has also objected to the Dixton Road development and has updated MCC on their proposals for the north and south-bound services on the A40.

The new facilities will provide Esso-branded petrol fuel for cars and lorries, with the north-bound offering HGV parking and a hotel.

Both sites will have a state-of-the-art services amenity building incorporating a Spar branded convenience store, Starbucks coffee shop, Greggs and Subway sandwich shops.

Robin Lawrence, Property Consultant for Euro Garages, said in a letter to MCC planners that the company have committed substantial capital investment into both the new Raglan Services and Ross Spur Services on the A40 and feel both premises meet the need for roadside facilities on the busy road. He added: "There is space to accommodate McDonald's at all three [of our] facilities and that a drive-thru restaurant and coffee outlet proposed [at Dixton] as part of the mixed use development is a 'roadside facility' the need for which can be easily accommodated, or has already been met at three Euro Garage sites nearby."