MONMOUTHSHIRE County Council insists that the long-proposed Morrisons supermarket site in Abergavenny will still go ahead, despite the supermarket giant missing the deadline to pay the £15million remaining on the town centre site.

Work was supposed to begin on the 25,000 square foot site on the former livestock market by June 13, or the supermarket giant would lose the £1.6m deposit paid to Monmouthshire County Council.

MCC officials moved to assure locals the development was still planned, despite Morrisons missing the deadline for building work to begin.

The council signed a legally-binding contract with the firm to build a 25,000 square foot store and began clearing the site in preparation for the scheme in 2014.

MCC said earlier this year the supermarket chain is contractually committed to building a store in the town, and that the remaining balance of the £15m deal was due by June this year.

Last month, a council spokesperson said the position ‘remained unchanged’ and insisted the scheme was on track, despite persistent enquiries from local politicians over the last year failing to gain a reply.

Morrisons was chosen as the preferred developer to build a multi-million pound scheme on the site of the former livestock market, which closed in 2013.

A new £5million site at Bryngwyn, near Raglan replaced the old facility.

It was originally planned to open the branch in 2014, but there is still no sign of construction work having begun, despite concerns and appeals to the firm from local parties.

Councillor Bob Greenland, cabinet member with responsibility for enterprise, previously said that work had to start by autumn last year if Morrisons was to open a store by this summer.

He said, “Whilst we acknowledge that the deadline for payment has passed we’re still working towards achieving a solution that will be mutually acceptable to both parties.

“We recognise the frustration felt by people in Abergavenny, I feel it also, but we’re working to achieve a positive outcome.”

No-one from Morrisons was available for comment.