Locals aghast at plans to build a ‘Teletubby Town’ in their village have drawn the support of local Assembly Member Nick Ramsay.

Opposition centres on a planning application to build 32 aesthetically futuristic ‘eco homes’, complete with lawn roofing and solar panels, on land next to St.Teilo’s Church in Llantilio Pertholey, near Abergavenny.

One campaigner, who helped set up protest group Save Our Rural Environment (SORE), said he met with Nick Ramsay, adding that the Conservative AM offered sympathy to the group’s aims.

The application requires two planning applications as 14 of the homes sit within Monmouthshire’s authority, and 18 within the Brecon Beacons National Park.

Mr Carlsen said the plans would wreck wildlife, besmirching the ‘natural beauty’ of the area. With its proximity to a grade-I listed church serving as the most contentious issue.

Mr Carlsen said, “We met with AM Nick Ramsey and we were grateful that Nick, having viewed the site and studied the design, was completely sympathetic and shared our concerns.

“One of the worst aspects of the design, aside from the houses themselves, is the 54-metre bridge which carries traffic from one side of the estate to the other.

“No wonder the architects neglected to show it in their artistic impression in the design brochure. To think of this urbanisation built in a rural hamlet, on a site of ’Importance for Nature Conservation’ opposite a Grade-I listed church, beggars belief,” he said.

Nick Ramsay waded into the debate. He said, “Although planning is not directly in my remit, I fully appreciate the concerns of local residents.

“Llantilio Pertholey is a beautiful part of Monmouthshire and the historic setting of the church has been unchanged for centuries.

“Any development should be in keeping with the character of the area and I am asking the council and National Park to take this into account when determining this application.

Objections have poured in from Natural Resources Wales, Abergavenny District and Civic Society, Network Rail, the local community council, the church, Brecon Beacons National Park Society and Monmouthshire’s own Biodiversity Officer. “That tells you something is seriously wrong with this proposal,” he said.

The issue comes as Monmouthshire struggles to deal with a housing shortage of hundreds per year, and some of the highest average house prices in Wales.

Developers claim their proposals to been designed to meld with the local character and the natural environment, whilst considerations have been made regarding wildlife and the natural habitat.

A statement from the applicant said the proposed homes have been ‘specifically designed to correspond with the local rural character and the natural environment.’