TORFAEN AM Lynne Neagle has hit out over the National Assembly's refusal to call in a controversial 1,200-home planning application for South Sebastopol.
In a letter to the Assembly's environment minister, Carwyn Jones, Ms Neagle described the planning system as "unjust and undemocratic".
The Labour AM has consistently opposed the plan to bulldoze what is the last piece of green land between Pontypool and Cwmbran, making way for 1,200 homes for an estimated 3,000 people.
Her request for the Assembly to call in the controversial plan was rejected.
Mr Jones maintained that calling in the plan would duplicate the public inquiry in 1998 which supported the principle of development.
But the developers, a consortium that includes RBS Chapman Warren, Bryant Homes, Barratt and the WDA Land Division, have already submitted an appeal to the Assembly against Torfaen council's failure to determine the application.
If it is not soon determined, or if the council rejects it, then the Assembly would probably end up making the final decision anyway.
Ms Neagle wrote to Carwyn Jones: "It seems unjust and undemocratic that the system should not allow for the Assembly to call in the application where there is significant local opposition and concern about it yet the system allows for an appeal from the developer to lead to its determination by the Assembly."
Her letter went on: "I remain completely opposed to the development.
"People in Torfaen do not consider the negative impact from the loss of countryside and the coalescence of Pontypool and Cwmbran to be acceptable."
Mr Jones responded: "It is now for Torfaen county borough council to determine the application and it remains open to them to refuse the application."
The council is expected to give the plan its approval later this month or in September. Ms Neagle is writing to them expressing her formal objection to it.
She added: "Torfaen council should listen to the views of local people and reject this proposal."
* In the picture: A mass protest against the development.
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