PLANS to build houses on the Shirenewton Golf Club and close the course have been put on hold for a month.

Beacon Estates has applied to Monmouthshire county council for planning permission to change the use of the existing golf club accommodation to 10 houses with garages and parking facilities.

Monmouthshire council have now given the local member, councillor Graham Down, time to find evidence the club has been widely used by the community.

The applicants say the course would close on completion of the last house, if the scheme goes ahead.

Councillor Down believed the loss of the club would be a great loss to the community of Shirenewton.

He said: "The golf club is the only licensed premises in the Shirenewton area which has a function room and meeting room.

"Several community groups have made use of that for various meetings and events and it provides an important service to the community.

"I will go back to the community to put together as much evidence as we can that the community needs this facility."

He said he felt the developer should make a contribution to either improve or extend the existing recreation hall in Shirenewton or to create an area with public amenities.

The application is to convert the existing Home Farm buildings into 10 separate homes.

The golf course, which is currently still open, would then close following the completion of the building works.

Councillor Mike Smith, from Caldicot, said if it was found the village had used the club frequently for community use it would not be unreasonable to request a contribution for refurbishment or extension to the village hall.

Forty-two letters of objection were received from local residents with some of the objections stating the loss of golf course would mean loss of a community facility.

Councillor Down requested four weeks to gather evidence of community use.