MONMOUTHSHIRE residents are celebrating today after winning their fight to stop 240 houses being built on a flood plain near Usk.

The National Assembly yesterday agreed to block the plan by building firm Bovis for land at Woodside, Llanbadoc, because of the risk of flooding.

An inspector's report said that plans to build the first part of the development of 121 homes on the floodplain of the River Usk, Berthin Brook, and an unnamed watercourse were for zones considered unsuitable for residential development.

And the Assembly ruled that according to the new national planning policy issued in March this year, building should not be permitted.

Monmouth AM David Davies said: "I'm delighted with the decision - it's everything that we wanted. It would have been wholly inappropriate to allow houses to go there.

"I went along to the inquiry and argued for Wales. Bovis tried to say that Welsh planning policy wasn't a law and had no relevance.

"I put it to them that the Assembly has the power to do things differently.

"We didn't want houses built on plains like that because it would have added to the risk of flooding for the whole town, and places like Usk need to be protected."

Geoffrey Mein, chairman of Usk Civic Society, was one of the main opponents. He said: "I think it would have been madness to build the houses there, and it was the stated policy of government not to build on flood plains.

"It would have been lunacy, so thank goodness they've turned it down."

And John Barrow, chairman of Llanbedoc community council, agreed: "It's superb news which will be greatly welcomed by residents, the community council and Usk town council. It will be party time."

Monmouthshire council's planning chief, George Ashworth, confirmed the site has been removed from the unitary development plan as suitable for housing.

He added: "It is noteworthy that the inspector dismissed the appeal on the grounds of it being contrary to Assembly policy alone. The inspector accepted that the scheme would largely remove local flooding and benefit many existing nearby properties."

No-one from Bovis was available to comment.

* Pictured: Residents protesting outside County Hall, Cwmbran, in May