SIR,

As a long-term resident of Monmouth who has enjoyed the open space that Vauxhall Fields offers, I find it abhorrent that anyone should even contemplate destroying such a valuable environmental resource which would change Monmouth's rural character irrevocably.

I've always considered Vauxhall Fields to be the 'lungs' of Monmouth – a beautiful, natural, open area, breathing life into the town.

The suggested inclusion of Vauxhall Fields as an Alternative Site for 300-plus houses in the council's Local Development Plan (LDP) should be rejected out of hand, because we all know what happens when anything stops breathing.

The council has, quite rightly, already rejected site CS/0092 (Vauxhall Fields) during the process of drafting its Deposit Local Development Plan. The Settlement Background Paper published in June 2011 highlights a number of reasons for rejecting the site.

Both Drybridge Farm and Vauxhall Fields are located in a particularly sensitive landscape setting to the centre of Monmouth within a green rural corridor running down to the settlement core along the River Monnow.

It is considered that any housing within this area would erode the rural character and make adjacent land vulnerable to further development which would be unacceptable due to its importance in the green corridor.

In addition to the above, there are a number of other issues relating to the site that make it unsuitable, namely:

1. A leaflet produced by the company interested in building on Vauxhall Fields stated that building there wouldn't expand the existing settlement area. However, the LDP clearly shows that Vauxhall Fields is outside the existing settlement area.

2. Development on Vauxhall Fields would also be very prominent and intrusive and could not fail to impact on sensitive view 'corridors' from Rockfield Road, Osbaston and Ancre Hill.

3. Is it really likely that the current water main could cope with the additional waste water created by 300 new homes, as well as the additional rainwater run-off?

4. What of the access? Any new development in this area would have a detrimental impact on the surroundings and increase the pressure on Rockfield Road.

5. In accordance with national planning policy, the LDP seeks to strictly control and reduce the environmental impact of new dwellings in the open countryside of Monmouthshire.

The LDP defines 'open countryside' as those parts of the plan area lying outside defined Town and Village Development settlement boundaries (which Vauxhall Fields does).

New build dwellings in the open countryside will not be permitted unless justified for the purposes of agriculture, forestry, rural enterprise dwellings or 'one planet development' as defined in Planning Policy Wales (PPW).

Any readers that feel as stongly as I do about the building on Vauxhall Fields can make their feelings known by responding to the current phase of the LDP consultation, Alternative Sites Consultation, by emailing their comments to [email protected]">[email protected]

Alternatively readers can complete an online form or download and complete a comments form at http:llhttp://www.monmouthshire.gov.uk/planningpolicy/info/1/localdevelopment">www.monmouthshire.gov.uk/planningpolicy/info/1/localdevelopment plan/41/alternative sitesconsultation

All representations must be received by 4.30pm on Friday 3rd February 2012. Responses cannot be accepted after this date.

Mr DW Owen

(Monmouth)