A SPANNER has been thrown into Monmouthshire County Council's plans to open up the county's new livestock market at Bryngwyn after the Torfaen planning authority approved outline permission for a similar operation in Mamhilad .

At Torfaen's planning committee meeting on Tuesday, officer Helen Smith explained to members that the application submitted by Pontypool Estates was for outline permission with all matters reserved and that it proposes an alternative scheme should the Monmouthshire council be minded to seek provision elsewhere.

She said, "This proposal is a sustainable alternative to the provision currently in place in the centre of Abergavenny and would be a livestock market with a number of associated facilities including a support building, business centre and store."

Ms Smith said that the application had been supported by a number of surveys including habitat, bat, reptile and trees, a transport statement, noise assessment and a flood consequence assessment.

Ms Smith added that the proposed site was surrounded to the east by a boarding cattery and a private dwelling and that a railway line ran along the other boundary. The Berthin Brook runs through the centre of the site.

The development would comprise a livestock building with a gross floor area of 3,800 square metres and provide pens with a capacity for 800 cattle and 2,375 sheep.

The support building comprises a sales ring, administration offices, food and drink and washroom facilities. Additionally, the site will provide a small business centre for around six offices.

Councillor David Daniels asked why as part of the ecology survey no evidence was sought for white clawed crayfish although they are known to exist in the Berthin Brook?

Ms Smith said that a five metre buffer zone would be built to protect the watercourse.

The site lies partially within a zone that is within the one in 100 year risk to flooding.

Councillor Keith James asked who would be ultimately be responsible for flood prevention and was told that it remained with the eventual owner of the livestock market scheme.

Councillor Philip Seabourne said he was concerned over a number of highways issues, but added that he was broadly in favour of the scheme.

In the officer's report highways agency consultants Savell Bird and Axon said that the busiest traffic generation of the development would only occur approximately twice a year with the maximum traffic increase occurring between 8am and 9am, would only be 5.2percent.

The consultants also advised that no new direct access should be created onto the A4042 trunk road or roundabout and that no signage associated with the development, permanent or temporary, should be permitted.

Councillor Barry Taylor asked for clarification over the provisions for not discharging foul water waste into the brook.

The officer's report suggested that the Berthin Brook is currently classified as 'poor' for both its ecological and biological status as lower than expected fish population has been caused by pollution from diffuse agricultural sources.

However the Environment Agency was concerned about the effective operation of any private treatment works designed to cope with large quantities of slurry and recommended that the applicant investigates further on-site connection to the mains foul system.

Ms Smith told the committee that a more suitable system would be resolved at the detailed planning stage.

Monmouthshire County Council told the Torfaen planners that the authority objected to the scheme because it was an inappropriate development within a flood plain, would increase the traffic through Usk leading to reduced air quality and would potentially have a harmful impact on white clawed crayfish and otters, both of which are protected species known to inhabit Berthin Brook .

The occupiers of Pentovey Cottage which lies adjacent to the planning site also objected to the scheme.

"Anyone who has had cause to visit a closed cattle market such as Abergavenny will be aware of the odour left behind, especially in the summer months," they said.

The scheme is however, 'strongly' supported by the owners and operators of Ross-on-Wye market who fear that the Bryngwyn site is to too close to their operation and will be in 'severe competition' with it to the detriment of both

Nine Torfaen councillors voted to approve the scheme which had 37 conditions attached to it, with one member abstaining from voting.