FOLLOWING Monmouthshire County Council's decision to approve planning permission for a replacement cattle market at Bryngwyn, the Bryngwyn Rural Community Action Group (BRCAG) has vowed to fight the decision.

The application was first approved by MCC in December 2007 but was quashed by the High Court when the council didn't respond to the challenge.

Now, the group states that the issues raised by this judicial review have not been met in the new application and suggest that it doesn't meet the authority's own standards.

Group member Stuart Willcock said, "The landscape issues are not being addressed. MCC's own landscape officers have expressed concern about the visual impact that the proposed development will have, stating that, 'the proposal is likely to change the perceived peaceful rural character of this countryside permanently'.

"When asked at the site meeting, that took place the day before the planning meeting, whether the ten metre high building could be sunk into the ground to mitigate landscape impact, a MCC officer stated that this was not possible due to the issue of the land being contaminated by botulism.

"This is rather alarming as MCC have previously attempted to reassure the general public that botulism was no threat on the site."

Opposition against the application came from Llanarth Fawr and Llanover Community Councils, Bryngwyn Rural Community Action Group, KALM, local businesses operating from Raglan Garden Centre, the Council for the Preservation of Rural Wales, members of the public and from members of the Labour, Conservative, Liberal Democrat and Plaid Cymru parties.

Mr Willcock said, "The success of the KALM campaign has been well publicised. Over 5000 letters have been signed supporting the campaign to keep the livestock market in Abergavenny.

"The KALM petition presented to Welsh Assembly Government asking for the Abergavenny Acts to remain in force and thereby keep the market in Abergavenny was also signed by over 5000 concerned people.

"This petition has been heard by the Petitions Committee and as yet no decision has been issued so MCC may yet be unable to move the Livestock Market from Abergavenny.

"It seems that the only people who want to move the market to Bryngwyn are members of the cabinet and of course AMAL who would be overjoyed at the use of a £5 million facility paid for by the taxpayers, after years of neglecting their present site."

They state that is have not been a democratic process as the application has been prepared, financed, refined, promoted and has been judged and passed all by MCC without listening to public opinion.

Mr Willcock adds, "The impact on trade in Abergavenny could be extremely serious. Traders are already saying that the move of the Newport market to Abergavenny has brought them increased trade.

"Moving the market out of town will be detrimental to Abergavenny in that the town would lose this new opportunity for additional trade plus the regular trade generated by the livestock markets.

"County Councillor Greenland in his press release published last week seems obsessed with the legal aspects and the quashing in the High Court of the January 2008 decision.

"He is quite right to be concerned. Legal advice has been sought by BRCAG members and we will continue to examine a number issues raised by this decision.

"The planning committee were advised of the problems with the application and the likelihood of a legal challenge, before they took their decision.

"We can only conclude that MCC have asked their barrister the wrong questions as our advice on the problems with the application is clear.

"It should come as no surprise to MCC when a number of further legal actions are taken. If the application, decisions and decision-making process deviate from the law, then inevitably there will be those wishing to seek redress from the legal system to safeguard the interests of those local taxpayers who elected the members into office.

BRCAG supports the farmers and their need for a livestock market. However, this present plan is the wrong solution to the problem of giving the farming community the modern market facility they need."