VILLAGERS in Grosmont are up in arms about a new house being built within the shadow of the ancient castle, and have accused the county council of failing to consult CADW on the plans.

The new house, to be named Wild Acre, is being built on behalf of Oliver Huntsman and his wife who have a holiday home at Myrtle Cottage, Grosmont, but live and work in London.

Villagers have dubbed the new development Tesco or The Manor, and say it will ruin the view of the castle which is a popular tourist spot.

But Monmouthshire County Council's head of planning George Ashworth said the council had consulted CADW over the plans, but it appeared they did not receive the correspondence.

He said the council's hands were tied because the former Monmouth District Council gave planning permission way back in 1982 for an estate of eight houses to be built on the same site. As building work started, that meant the permission remained in force.

Richard Kevern for CADW said they could find no record of any consultation by the county council when planning permission was given in 2007 for the current scheme.

One villager said, " I think it is appalling that the village is left with another blot on the landscape allowed by MCC.  They are currently trying to put another 15 houses in the village having declared Grosmont as a 'major village'.  How they can say that when we have no facilities other than a part time shop and a pub!  When we came here 36 years ago we had a doctor's surgery, a school, a bus morning and evening to Hereford and two shops!"

Another resident, Lynn Hounsome of Bryn Hyfryd said she had heard villagers had dubbed the new house as Tesco or The Manor and added, "It has been given innumerable names."

She said she objects to the title of a major village given to Grosmont in the county council's latest Local Plan, now out for consultation. "To the best of my knowledge the sewage works was built in 1965 for 70 houses, and at that time there were 35/36, but by 1985 another 45 had been built and since then a further 42, plus four barn conversions and three under construction, including the one next to the castle. There are also at least six plots with planning permission."

Mrs Hounsome added: "The roof will be above any tree line. If they allow this to go ahead it will open the floodgates, are people going to allow houses to be built around Raglan Castle?"

Stuart Chatfield, custodian of Grosmont Castle said: "I would imagine that the council has made an error somewhere because the applicant would have gone through the correct channels. It is massively in your face, it is so obtrusive. I have heard it dubbed Tesco and The Manor but I think it looks like a National Car Park.

"It is a monumental edifice that will obliterate the view of the castle for three or four houses. I live next door to the castle and it does not dominate my view but it does from the castle. I have no axe to grind with the applicant but it's just huge. It's set a precedent because it impacts on the view from the castle area."

Bob Wilcox is clerk to Grosmont Community Council and he said they would be discussing it at their next meeting on Monday.

Speaking as a private resident he said: "This construction, when completed, will be a blot on the landscape and will ruin the confines of the historic Grosmont Castle. It would have been as tall as the castle if 300 loads of soil had not been removed so the foundations could be lowered."

Mr Ashworth said removing the soil was one of the conditions placed on the latest planning permission.

He said the original planning permission in 1982 was for an estate with an "horrendous" layout of high density and because the builder started work that coloured all future applications.

In 1997 a local architect proposed building three very modern two storey houses and this scheme was amended but did not go ahead.

He added: "This latest scheme is for two houses, one at the back where the estate would have been built, and the other at the front of the site. This has now been amended to link the two houses with a low key extension so visually it will look like one building.

"The applicant has also agreed to set the buildings further away from the castle and to ensure they were no higher than the castle."

He said an archaeological watching brief on the site had ben agreed and the council's enforcement officers had checked the building because of local concerns and it was being constructed in line with the approved plans.

"It is a very sensitive site and it saddens me that we had to accept any development on this site, but we have imposed conditions such as the use of natural slate and part stone, part render. This was looked at very carefully by the council's conservation team.

"Our conservation officer Simon Robertshaw said there was no mention of CADW in the officers' report because the council did not receive a response.

"The council has done everything possible to minimise the impact."

 Mr and Mrs Huntsman were not available to comment.