A DISCUSSION on the future of Troy Yard has been deferred by Monmouth Town Council over concern that plans are late going online for public viewing, with residents not receiving letters until six days later.

The planning application to build 26 houses on land next to Troy Gardens, together with car parking, landscaping and associated works, has been submitted to Monmouthshire County Council.

Applicant RDP Investments is proposing to demolish the former gas governor PRS building and concrete bases to make way for the development.

The development would include nine affordable houses, including eight one-bedroom flats and one three-bedroom house.

Initial surveys show the site has ecological features, most significantly relating to bats and dormice.

Several trees would also be removed under the plans.

The site lies outside the existing settlement boundary identified for Monmouth in the adopted MCC Local Development Plan.

But developers say the location is close to shops, schools, a bus-stop and other facilities, as well as being near to several employment sites.

It is said the site is located away from existing properties and is in a “sustainable location.”

But councillors on the town’s planning committee have asked for an extension to their decision as they feel a number of concerns need to be addressed. They believe that the space allowed for the public footpath that runs through the site is not wide enough and the layout is too densely packed with too many properties being built

There was some frustration with the some of the documents not opening on the Monmouthshire County Council website, specifically for the Ecological Survey and Appendix A, therefore councillors were not able to read them.

Councillors voted unanimously to defer the plans until the meeting of the 18th June with a decision to be submitted by the 19th.

One objector said on the website that the remains [of the former railway station] are “an important meeting point for community, community dignitaries, The Royal British Legion and Monmouthshire Regiment particularly on Armistice Day to celebrate the route taken by soldiers leaving for the WWI and WWII conflicts.

“These events have been participated in and enjoyed by the community and should surely continue.”

View the plans by visiting monmouthshire.gov.uk and searching reference DM/2018/00640.