Opposition to proposals to stamp 18 retirement homes in the centre of Llanfoist thickened last week as a local group outlined their discontent with planners.

Early plans to build the block of ‘high-quality’ apartments on Greenfield, Merthyr Road, met strident opposition when submitted back in December—an issue which a group of residents underscored last week.

In a letter to Monmouthshire County Council’s planning department, the group called the plans ‘an exercise in pure greed’ before fleshing out what they said was evidence of widespread opposition toward the proposal.

Early documents show plans to demolish the existing site, replacing it with an ‘active living centre’ aimed at retirees. The site would include a communal living space, a landscaped private courtyard, gym facilities, and a swimming pool on a parcel of land next to Llanfoist’s mini roundabout.

Opposing voices, within the letter, and those posted online, centre on the site’s seeming ‘unsuitability’ to the surrounding area, and point to a perceived burden upon local infrastructure.

A collection of those in opposition, who claim some 40 letters of objection have landed at MCC without reply, state in the letter that MCC had lacked communication with local residents, and seemed keen to press ahead without proper consultation.

“We feel that this is an exercise in pure greed,” it reads. “It takes no account of the impact on the surrounding area: there are no other three-storey buildings in Llanfoist.

“It does not address the need for affordable housing in Abergavenny,” it claims, before stating that, “It takes no account of the impact of traffic.”

The group, who collectively authored the letter, then asks Kate Bingham, addressee and MCC planning officer, to join them to discuss the development.

That meeting is pencilled in for Thursday, March 7, at 7pm, at St Faith’s Hall (Church Hall), Llanfoist.

Opposition toward the development swelled online. Citing the apparent local ‘overdevelopment’ one resident claimed, “This proposed development would increase the traffic on the road significantly and during the building phase. The development would potentially hinder the peace and enjoyment of my property by destroying my view. In addition to this, it would impact on the privacy of my home and this could also would effect the value of my home.

“Llanfoist is a quiet and fairly secluded area of which such a large development would destroy the character of the village.”

Another objector wrote, “Llanfoist is fast losing its identity as a village and is very quickly becoming an extension of Abergavenny town. The village is vastly overdeveloped and there is already inadequate facilities for the population.

“The proposed development is not in keeping with the character of properties in the area; looking more like a modern office block than something you would find in a village. A three-storey building would be overpowering and would simply serve to destroy the feel of the village.

“The volume of traffic through Llanfoist is ever increasing and the proposed development is located near a mini roundabout which, quite frankly, causes enough traffic flow difficulties as it currently stands without a further development nearby.

“No due consideration has been given to the increased demand on local services (doctors, dentists, recycling/waste, post office, etc). I strongly object to the planning application.”

At time of going to press, the application’s online portal had 41 submitted comments, with all but a handful in objection.