PLANS for a multi-million pound new headquarters for Monmouthshire County Council (MCC) have been rejected by the council's own planning committee.

Outline planning permission for a new strategic headquarters based on The Rhadyr site at Coleg Gwent's Usk campus went before the council's planning committee last week.

However, the committee decided not to grant the planning permission after hearing the Environment Agency Wales claims that the grounds of the proposed site is at risk of flooding.

The agency said the flood prevention measure would increase the potential for the land upstream to flood, although this land was unpopulated.

A statement to planners from the agency said, that MCC had failed to demonstrate that the risks and consequences of flooding could be acceptably managed in accordance with legislation, because of the increase in flooding elsewhere predicted as a result of flood mitigation proposals."

The scheme was supported by the council as it meant that the new headquarters would be located within the county and working with Coleg Gwent, MCC proposed that the new building would sit on the college site in Usk.

George Ashworth, MCC's Head of Planning said, "The planning committee has refused the council's headquarters application, and have requested that it be brought back to the October 5 meeting with a draft reason for refusal based on the Environment Agency's letter of objection.

"There will be updated information available at the meeting following discussions I am having with the Environment Agency, and the committee will then be in a position to refuse the planning application, or to reconsider and decide to approve the scheme if the updated information is positive."

Outline planning permission for the site was initially submitted in 2009 but was later withdrawn and replaced by the current application when it emerged that further financial saving could be achieved.

The report put before the planning committee last week said the new headquarters would sit on a site measuring some 3.5 hectares and would require the demolition of a number of college buildings including the former garden centre and informal landscaped areas.

The headquarters building would be made up of a low rise building of no more than two storeys with 3,500 square meters of office space.

This would provide accommodation for elected members plus 100 workspaces to serve 200 'hot desking' employees and some limited, community use.

A car park with 133 spaces for council staff plus 50 spaces would also be provided for temporary use by Coleg Gwent staff.

The application was recommended for approval by the council's planning officers and several community councils in the Usk area.

Monmouthshire County Council must move out of its current building in Cwmbran, which it shares with Torfaen County Borough Council by March 2012 as it has been found that the building is affected by so-called 'concrete cancer'.

MCC's Director of Transition Steve Greenslade added, "We chose the Usk site as it's in the centre of the county and easily accessible for everyone.

"The decision made by Monmouthshire Planning Committee clearly illustrates the fact that they are a completely separate body to Monmouthshire County Council and acts totally independently."