CONTRACTS are due to be signed in the next month on the controversial £10 million redevelopment of Abergavenny's cattle market.

Developers Henry Boot will sign the contract along with the leader of Monmouthshire County Council, Councillor Andrew Crump.

Following this, the auctioneers will be due to sign. Supermarket chain Asda is behind the developers.

There are plans for an 18,000 sq ft foodstore and 8,000 sq ft clothes store for the George label.

The scheme also incorporates two more retail units, a cinema in the old slaughterhouse, library, flats and parking for 230 cars. The scheme chosen by the county council in September last year also allows space for Curry's and Halford's to relocate.

The site earmarked for the new cattle market is thought to be at Llanfoist. But leading action group Sauce (Save Abergavenny's Unique Character and Environment) has voiced concerns about what they fear is the over-development of the site.

Sauce's David Haswell complained that town groups had not been consulted on the proposals which included a four-storey block of flats and possibly demolition of the historic abattoir buildings to make way for a new cinema.