A FIRM accused by residents of expanding their Caldicot site without permission had used grazing land for storage and parking for four years without notifying the local authority.

Barrier Services have submitted a retrospective planning application asking to change the use of more than 4,000 square metres of land having altered it for storage and distribution purposes.

The fencing contractor, which has been based at Caerwent Brook since 1989, say it was necessary to use the land due to new standards and inspections enforced by the Highways Agency and Costain.

According to the application, which has been recommended for approval by council officers, the company have to store new, old and reconditioned materials in separate compounds as not to risk contamination.

The increased space has also been used for parking business vehicles, with the existing compound also used for staff parking.

In a letter to Monmouthshire council, a spokesman for Barrier Services maintain that the business itself has not expanded and that the same amount of vehicles are being used.

“The expanded use of the field is purely to make the premises more aesthetically pleasing and operations more structured for health and safety reasons,” it read.

“Up until 3-4 years ago no complaints had been received from our neighbours. I must reiterate there has been no expansion of this business and no expansion of the motor fleet.

“The number of vehicles cannot be increased because of the terms of the operator’s licence.”

Since the land was repurposed a number of objections have been submitted, particularly with concerns of an increasing number of heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) using the narrow lanes.

An eight-name petition has also been delivered to the council “strongly opposing” the retrospective application.

One resident, living in Church Road, said that approving the application would provide “further incentive” for the business to expand at some point in the future.

But a Barrier Services employee of 23 years, supporting the application, said: “Over the last few years every effort has been made to make the lane more impassable with all available passing points blocked by boulders/gates and vehicles installed by residents.”

The application will be discussed by the council’s planning committee tomorrow and can be viewed online.