A CO-OPERATIVE store and three retail units have been approved for land on Rockfield Road.

The store, anticipated to bring 39 jobs to the area, will measure a total of 372 square metres and feature a 34 space car park.

A separate building comprising of three additional retail units will also be built on site. Two will measure a total of 139 square metres and one unit at 107 square metres.

Although it is unknown what shops will be utilising the retail units, an evaluation on the site suggests they may be used as a hairdressers, a hot food takeaway or another community facility.

The site in question sits on the eastern side of Rockfield Road and has two access points from Rockfield Road. On the opposite side of the road is a large residential area. The eastern boundary runs adjacent to the caravan park.

The current access to the south of the site will be closed and re-positioned closer to the north point of the site in order to serve the development.

The area is currently occupied by a bungalow with two poultry sheds. The bungalow and the front bay of the poultry shed will be demolished to accommodate the retail units.

The proposal went before Monmouthshire County Council’s (MCC) planning committee in January but was deferred after councillors felt the need for a pedestrian crossing to access the site.

The applicants, Morspan and Henry Boot Developments Ltd, have offered to pay half the cost towards a pedestrian crossing as a “good will gesture”.

In the report which went before the planning committee yesterday (1st March) the applicants said: “The financial contribution which is being offered is £8,000, which equates to 50 per cent of the cost of the desired crossing.

“It is understood that a financial contribution of 50 per cent of the cost of the crossing is a meaningful contribution, which would then enable the Local Highways Authority to proceed with the desired works.

“Accordingly we hope that the application will now receive the support of committee members.”

MCC’s highways engineer stated the site in question does not need a pedestrian crossing but £8,000 would be welcomed as the development would have an impact on pedestrian safety. It was suggested by the engineer that the £8,000 should be used towards off site road safety improvements in the immediate vicinity.

Councillor Alan Wintle believed there was a need for the pedestrian crossing. He said: “How are people going to cross that road? There’s nowhere safe they can cross. There have been accidents on the road and luckily no one’s been injured.

“I’d hate to come back here and say I told you so otherwise I’ll be coming back and kicking up a storm.

“You’ll have children going there to use the shops. These are the people who’ll be crossing that road and this is my concern.”

The development was recommended for approval by Monmouth Town Council and received no objections from MCC’s highways department.

Six letters were received from neighbours objecting to the development. One resident was concerned that allowing the development to go ahead would be a step closer to further development on land at Rockfield Road.

Another resident voiced concerns over the safety of the site. She said: “As a parent of three primary school aged children I feel that Rockfield Road is already a dangerous road to cross with cars often driving at speed straight across the Watery Lane roundabout.

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“There are many school children who walk along and cross Rockfield close to the proposed site and this situation would only worsen with the inevitable extra traffic of vehicles turning in and out of the proposed entrance”.