MONMOUTHSHIRE councillors described designs and lack of open space for a residential development near Abergavenny as 'not good enough'.

The council’s planning committee criticised the designs for 44 new homes on the Westgate site, off Merthyr Road in Llanfoist.

The area was identified for housing with access roads for the overall site and granted outline planning permission in 2010.

At the council’s headquarters, near Usk, last week the committee considered the layout of the housing site, which includes the design, roads and open spaces.

George Ashworth, the council’s head of planning, said officers were satisfied with the design by housing developer Charles Church but members disagreed.

Councillor Giles Howard said: “Is this as good as it gets?” whilst Cllr David Dovey branded the designs as being of ‘kindergarten’ standard.

He said: “I’m looking at the design and it is appalling and really grotty. It show no inspiration at all.”

He added: “This is just not good enough.”

Vice-chairman of the committee, Peter Clarke, said :” This is awful. What are we leaving for the generations that follow?”

He called for three-storey homes to be withdrawn from the plan.

He said: “If you drive along the Heads of the Valleys Road and look at the nearby Coopers development all you see are three-storey homes built on the highest point.”

Cllr Frances Taylor was concerned about the lack of outdoor space and green space between houses.

She said: “ There are a lot of houses crammed into a small space compared to other areas."

Cllr Martin Hickman, who represents Llanfoist, said the village has doubled in size since 2007 and that the primary school is already at capacity. His view was echoed by Cllr Simon Howarth who felt that the village has grown into a suburb of Abergavenny. Cllr Maureen Powell argued that whilst Llanfoist Primary is at capacity, there are plenty of space in schools in Abergavenny.

The committee agreed to defer their decision to allow for the developer to consider their concerns.