PLANS to build 19 houses on the old Govilon Primary School site have been submitted to local planners for consideration.

The application by Monmouthshire County Council shows a mixture of detached, semi-detached and terraced residential homes surrounding a small 'village green'.

The site became vacant after the local authority decided to rationalise its educational establishments by merging a number of its schools.

Govilon Primary School, which had a capacity for 114 pupils, was originally saved from closure in 2002 as part of the authority's strategic review of primary education provision across the county that had originally recommended that 11 schools should close.

However eight years later, Govilon parents' worst fears were realised when pupils left the school for the final time in July 2010, leaving the redundant building a target for vandals.

Efforts were made by a number of residents who called on Monmouthshire County Council to consider reusing the school building as a community and resource centre but any plans were thwarted in November 2010 when the building was targeted by arsonists

The remains of the fire-damaged building were too badly damaged to save it for its conversion into community use and so Monmouthshire County Council had no option but to raze the school building to the ground.

Councillor Kevin Williams, County Council ward member for Llanwenarth Ultra said he had been one of those keen to utilise the old school site as a community resource.

"During my election campaigning I was canvassing in the area and the proposal to develop the site for community use was well received but in the end it was not well enough supported locally to continue with this project.

"I still believe that the school playing fields should be left as an open space as this end of the village is lacking in this type of amenity.

"However, I shall be liaising with the community council to look for additional options to create more usable open spaces in the future.

"While I am not keen on developing the site, these houses are of a good design and the plan does feature some open space at the centre of the site."

The plans submitted to Brecon Beacons National Park Planning Authority consist of six four-bedroomed houses, one three-bedroomed house and eight three-bed semi-detached and linked units.

In addition there are four two-bedroomed bungalows in response to popular demand following community consultation.

Four affordable homes have been identified as part of the development.

Chairman of Llanwenarth Ultra Community Council, Councillor John James said that the application had been subject to a public meeting.

"The overriding feeling from this consultation is that local residents support the scheme as it was not an over development of the site especially as it had a number of features including a small children's play area.

"It was inevitable that, after the school was closed, a planning application for housing would soon follow.

"The benefit of holding an open meeting is that the developer's agents have devised a scheme that takes residents views into account and this has alleviated any fears of too many houses being crammed into the space.

"The current community facilities like the village hall are under used and using the land for an additional resource centre was unrealistic in terms of securing grants and other funding," he said.