A planning document released by Monmouthshire County Council this week has been dubbed a ‘bombshell’ for Abergavenny.

The candidate list of development sites for Abergavenny includes proposals for a new bypass, an eco-village, and a raft of housing developments littered across Abergavenny.

Twenty-two sites have been earmarked for development, with some sure to raise significant opposition.

The document, a candidate list for the local development plan up until 2033, lists potential sites dotted around Abergavenny.

One proposal is to build a bypass road linking the Heads of the Valleys to the Brecon Road, cutting through the middle of fields to the left of Nevill Hall hospital.

Another would see a ‘One Planet’ community built in the Mardy, on land off Hereford Road.

Other proposals include a ‘land-share growing project’, a ‘community-supported agriculture’ scheme, and 12 sites marked for residential development.

One councillor, Roger Harris, of Croesonen ward, said the candidate list offered the opportunity for those with views both in support, and against particular proposals, to air their opinion. ??He stressed that the candidate list was the earliest stage in any plan.

“The important thing here is that local people can study the document and make their minds up. It is important for them to realise this, and to say how they feel,” he said.

The list comprises of two residential sites in Cantref; four in Grofield; another four residential sites in Lansdown; one in Llanover, and nine sites situated in the Mardy.

What is effectively a ‘developers’ wish list’, the document outlines the earliest stages of potential development. Monmouthshire County Council will assess the viability of each of the candidates as part of the regular planning process, with some inevitably rejected.

If all candidates were green-lit, some 53,000 houses would be built up until 2033. ??

Councillor Tudor Thomas said the list held some ‘controversial’ elements, but stressed its provisional nature. ?

?“As a county, we have a problem with demographics. We do need to keep younger people here, but that proves difficult when the average wage is ten times less than the average house price.

“My main worry is we have a shrinking work population, in a county that is trending towards older people.?

?“There are some quite big developments on that list, and I expect a lot of people might not be happy, in some areas,” he added.

One site which could prove controversial centres on a ‘One Planet dwelling community’ proposed for the Mardy. One Planet sites focus on environmental sustainability, with homes built in mind of a low carbon footprint.

One Planet sites, supported by the Welsh Government, also demand close-to-zero waste, rainwater harvesting, and a low or zero carbon transport plan. ??Another candidate centres on Maindiff Court, a psychiatric hospital near Abergavenny, which details ‘technology/education’ as part of its ‘proposed use’.

The document may prove controversial given the running battles which currently embroil Monmouthshire county council’s planning department. ??Recently, campaigners fought a contentious battle to force the council to reverse a planning proposal to build 111 homes on a site in Raglan. ??

Another current issue of contention is the ‘Teletubby town’ proposed for a site near Llantilio Pertholey, which has stoked fervent and organised opposition, with opposing voices even resonating from the Welsh Assembly.

This comes as market researchers found Monmouthshire to have some of the highest average home prices in Wales—£300,000—whilst the average wage was around £30,000 per year.