A PUBLIC meeting will be held over plans to redevelop an historic Monmouth estate into a top-flight golf centre.

Concerned locals will gather on September 2 to discuss details of the Willoughby Estates Ltd application to redevelop the Llangattock Estate at The Hendre, once the stately home of the Rolls family and now home of the Rolls of Monmouth Golf Club.

The meeting, which includes a presentation, will give people the opportunity to see the details of the plan and opponents of the scheme a chance to gauge local opinion.

The estate is owned by a Japanese company and is divided in two by a 385-acre belt of woodland.

The woodland, which is ecologically valuable, replanted ancient and semi-natural woodland, is owned by the Forestry Commission on a 999-year lease.

While there is support for securing the future of The Hendre, the Campaign for the Protection of Rural Wales fears this proposed plan would be an ecological disaster.

Graeme Laws, who lives at St Maughans, said: "The Rolls Estate is obviously important to Monmouth and there has been no easy opportunity so far for people to understand what is in the plans and why so many organisations have said they will oppose them.

"No-one really knows whether local people are for, against, or couldn't care less. We thought it was important to try to find out, which is why we have arranged the meeting."

During the meeting John Edwards, of CPRW, will display and explain the plans that have been submitted.

The organisers say that there will be plenty of time for questions and discussion.

The CPRW has also written to Carwyn Jones, minister for environment, planning and countryside, questioning the Forestry Commission involvement in the development of the Hendre Estate.

The Forestry Commission has been approached to sell some of the woodland at The Hendre by the developer, in exchange for the freehold of other parts of the woodland.

The commission says it will not agree to any terms until it has seen the precise detail of the proposals.

The public meeting will be at 7.30pm on Thursday, September 2 at Rockfield Church.