MONMOUTHSHIRE County Council's planning committee has given the green light to plans to build 80 new homes on the former Coopers Filters site at Llanfoist.

The scheme had been referred back to the planning committee after some members raised concerns about the provision of footpaths and the design of some of the houses proposed and although the scheme has been given the go-ahead similar concerns about the width of some pavements were raised at a meeting of the planning committee held on Tuesday.

These will now be referred to a delegation panel after council officers assured members that the pavements they felt were too narrow, were to 'adoptable standards'.

With the village of Llanfoist having been subject to a great deal of development in recent years there were 18 objections lodged to the plans, with most raising concerns about the number of houses and potential anti-social behaviour.

George Ashworth, the council's head of planning, said there were expected to be 23 primary school pupils and 25 secondary school pupils living on the estate when an initial 100-home development was proposed by developers a year ago. Slightly fewer children are now anticipated.

Councillor Simon Howarth however said he was "angry" that primary school pupils who live on the site would be expected to travel up to a mile to Deri View School in Abergavenny rather than attending the nearby Llanfoist school.