Councillors have pushed through controversial plans to build 111 homes in Raglan, after a contentious debate had looked set to reject the proposals, as protestors looked on. Over 100 Raglan villagers rallied recently, saying ‘No!’ to the development of 111 houses on the edge of their village, insistent that the MCC plans should have never been given the go-ahead.Opposition centres on a large housing development mooted for a green field site edging Raglan Village, which campaigners have said would besmirch the ‘beautiful and historic’ settlement, swelling the local population by nearly one-third.At Tuesday’s meeting, MCC officers underlined that 35 per cent of the housing qualified as affordable, whilst 82 households were said to be waiting for suitable housing in the Raglan area, before confirming £150,000 would be funnelled to meet increased school, footpath, and traffic considerations. Including over £400,000 for the school budget; £90,000 for footpath improvements on Station, and Monmouth Roads, and £60,000 for bus service improvements. Despite impassioned arguments from both sides, councillors approved the plans, meeting gasps from the assembly of placard-waving protestors set behind them. ??Alex Dyer, Chair of Raglan Village Action Group (RVAG) said, “The residents of Raglan cannot believe this decision. We have all worked tirelessly in the past few months to fight this application and our efforts have been ignored by the planners. “We presented a strong case to the planning committee and asked that they applied good judgement. We enjoyed good support from our MP David Davies, our County Councillor Penny Jones and Raglan Community Council but they were also ignored.”“We would prefer to have worked with MCC to discuss the imminent LDP in a positive manner, but we are now faced with lodging an appeal against this appalling decision. This will involve us in considerable abortive costs and energy, as well as tying up considerable resources at MCC.” The Raglan Village Action Group said it will meet next week to consider the best way forward.Councillor Penny Jones, said she had two main objections, being the site itself, and the scale of the development. “The current application would result in a 36 per cent rise in the number of houses in the village. It is also contrary to the council’s local development plan.” ?Councillor Jones insisted that opposition focused on the sustainability of the project, arguing that other sites should be considered instead. “This is not a case of nimbyism. We recognise there is a demand for housing throughout Monmouthshire and Raglan is not exempt. But there are other more suitable sites,” she said, “Residents see this as a free-for-all. Raglan lacks the infrastructure for this development. Please don’t let this happen.” Protestors have taken particular umbrage as development boundaries fall outside of the council’s Local Development Plan. Several protestors at Tuesday’s council planning meeting highlighted this point, one with a placard reading ‘RIP LDP’. ??Colwyn Knight, speaking in opposition, reminded the council that opposing voices were found in the council itself, and not just amongst villagers — dubbing the development a ‘monstrous suburban sprawl.’ “We recognise the need for affordable housing in our village, but this is not the way to do it,” he said, before offering to ‘work with’ the council on an alternative plan. ??Council representatives reiterated that housing is in ‘short supply’ in a county with the country’s highest average house prices already compounding the issue, pointing to a burgeoning waiting list. ?The strength of feeling against the development was previously set in 190 letters of opposition, including those authored by the Woodland, and Glamorgan-Gwent Archaeological Trusts, not to forget a cluster of protestors present at Tuesday’s meeting.??Councillor Giles Howard said the scheme was ‘ridiculous’ adding that the development was ‘out of scale’ for a Raglan-sized village, pointing it is ‘three times the size’ of standard LDP allocation. ?Councillor Murphy said he regretted holding an opposite view to Councillor Howard, adding that the development was necessary despite his own regret seeing ‘the countryside gobbled up’.

Backing the move, Councillor Roger Harris said ‘affordable housing’ was a pressing need in Monmouthshire. ??“We need this development. We need affordable housing. This development needs to go ahead,” he said. ??

Councillor Maureen Powell said her ‘conscience’ formed her backing for the plans, pointing out that young people and those in need of housing must be considered in a county with the highest house prices in Wales. ?

?“I know it will make me unpopular, but I have to support this,” she added. ??

In opposition, Councillor Louise Brown said she recognised the ‘need for affordable housing’ but could not support the plans, instead calling for the council to revisit the proposals which she deemed ‘shortsighted’.

Councillor Ruth Edwards said she grew up in the area and remembered traffic issues, including a fatal accident and numerous near-misses. ?

“I’m sorry. I cannot support this application. Raglan is a village and I would like for it to stay a village... Monmouthshire is a wonderful county and everyone might want to live here, but we cannot concrete over it because we still need land to feed people and they’re not making any more of that.

Drawing attention to other housing developments in the Raglan area which had not been highlighted at the meeting and admitting she was ‘putting a spanner in the works’ Councillor Edwards said she could not support the application.” ??

Despite the objections put forward the plans were approved by MCC’s planning committee.