THE development of 212 new homes at the former Sudbrook Papermill has been approved by Monmouthshire councillors after years of failed applications.

Monmouthshire council's planning committee approved the revised application for the site today after previously rejecting applications for 340 houses at the site and another for 209 houses. The appeal for the 340 homes was dismissed in 2014 by the Welsh Government's housing and regeneration minister and an appeal for the 209 homes is still ongoing but planning officers believed it would be withdrawn if this new application was approved.

Councillors have previously rejected the application for 209 homes due to the lack of affordable housing.

The proposal from developers Harrow Estates and Redrow Homes seek the building of 192 market houses, including 10 two-bed, 105 three-bed and 77 four-bed homes on 10.7 hectares site of which 7.1 hectares will be developed.

These houses would be a mixture of detached, semi-detached and terraced properties.

There would also be 20 affordable units comprising of eight two-person walk up flats, 10 two-bed houses and two three-bed houses.

But councillors at the meeting were not pleased with the level of affordable housing which equates to nine per cent of the development - this is below the planning policy’s level of 25 per cent.

Despite approving the application, councillors expressed a number of concerns.

Cllr Alan Wintle, member for Drybridge, said: "It seems to me developers are hovering over Monmouthshire at the moment we can't move for them and they all want they big sites but they don't want to provide low cost housing that we need. We don't need executive style housing, we need low cost housing. "

He added: "It is stacked in favour of large developers; small developers have to provide 25 per cent. Big ones now can squeeze us to 9/10 per cent of low cost housing."

Councillors expressed concerns with the parking provision which has now been revised by the developers who have added 23 extra parking spaces but this still leaves a shortfall of 52 parking spaces.

Public amenity space will also be established at the entrance of the site and along its boundaries, as well as a public open space in the linking with the existing settlement in Sudbrook.

A large area of public open space would be provided on the south west portion of the site and this would contain a footpath link from the development to the Wales Coastal Path.

Both Caldicot Town Council and Portskewett Community Council had stated their opposition to the plans, with the former citing "insufficient affordable housing" and "unsuitable infrastructure".

Cllr Dave Evans, member for West End, said Caldicot Town Council had concerns with extra traffic which would affect the town but said he proposed to approve the application as 'no stone had been unturned' in the planning process.