FIFTY-five jobs will be created under revised plans for space near the Dixton Road junction with the A40, it was revealed this week.

Named Nelson Place, long-awaited plans for the site next to Dixton roundabout in Monmouth will have two retail units, a family pub operated by Marston’s and parking facilities for 87 cars.

With a new and improved access and new landscaping, the developers, Avenbury Ventures LLC, are hoping the plans will be more palatable than the controversial 2013 proposal featuring a McDonald’s restaurant.

In February 2015, Monmouth Town Council unanimously refused to recommend planning permission for the retail site 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.

A pressure group, Gateway to Wales Action Group was formed and claimed it was “blatant overdevelopment” of the site, pointing out to developers that there was huge public opposition to the development.

Developers have admitted that following feedback received from the local planning authority, as well as from both residents and local businesses, the original scheme for Nelson Place “might adversely affect town centre businesses, that it needed additional landscaping, that in particular the fast food restaurant faced opposition and that the site was overdeveloped”.

In addition to this, design elements of the scheme were queried. They are now confident that the revised application, after extensive consultation with the local planning authority, has addressed the concerns raised about the original application and “the amount and form of development on the site has been significantly reduced”.

As a pub and two retail units, the current planning application seeks consent for a bicycle stand to cater for up to 12 cycles, new landscaping and boundary treatments, and new and improved access.

If approved, developers claim 55 new employment opportunities will be available to the town, which are broken down as follows: Marston’s pub/ restaurant, 41 new jobs (21 full-time and 20 part-time positions); retail units, 14 new jobs.

Subject to planning permission being granted by Monmouthshire County Council, it is expected that the development could start in 2018.

For more details, go to www.nelsonplace.co.uk