DEVELOPMENT plans for the Mabey Bridge site in Chepstow have been delayed until the beginning of 2017.

County councillors, town councillors and the Mabey Bridge developers met last week to discuss how the plans are coming along.

The site was previously being looked at by Savills Estates who were looking to get outline permission to build 600 houses, but at the moment, any further developments have been pushed back until next year.

Chepstow town councillor Marc Le Peltier, who attended the meeting last week along with Cllr David Dovey, said that the future of the site is unknown.

He said: “The Mabey Bridge development is something I feel quite strongly about and it just feels like it keeps being pushed further and further back.

“I think the feeling [of the development being pushed back] is very frustrating and we want to see a clear and concise application that will consider the issues we have here in Chepstow.

"The proposal of the 600 houses now seems to have been scaled down to 450 houses."

Progress on the Mabey Holdings’ site in the town was initially stalled by the Welsh Government in early 2015 but the holding objection was lifted in early spring as a result of the government commissioning an independent consultant’s report on traffic and air quality.

When speaking to the Free Press in August this year, Chepstow town Cllr Armand Watts said the possible housing development would make the town centre “choke itself to death” because of the traffic congestion it would create. He also said the proposed work to the A48 on Station Road, which included a left-turn-only lane would "cause an issue for people who are commuting" and would come as a "massive shock to people living in the town centre."

Due to the ongoing discussions, the planning application will now be reported to Monmouthshire County Council’s Planning Committee before January 2017.

Head of planning Mark Hand, of Monmouthshire County Council, said: “We continue to work closely with the planning agents, consultees and elected members on this strategic housing site which forms an important regeneration opportunity and is a key allocated site in our adopted Local Development Plan.”

However, a meeting with Kate Young from Monmouthshire County Council’s planning department and Chepstow town councillors will be taking place on November 4, and the site will be discussed.