Plans for Severn Tunnel Junction car park set to be revoked

Planning permission for a new car park to serve Severn Tunnel Junction train station is set to be revoked after the decision was challenged by Rogiet Community Council.

Plans for the car park providing 172 spaces were granted approval by Monmouthshire council’s delegated panel in October.

Rogiet Community Council, which objected to the plans, wrote to the county council to challenge the decision.

A report coming before Monmouthshire County Council’s planning committee now recommends that planning permission is revoked.

The report says the application was ‘incorrectly’ presented to the delegated panel as the council is the applicant and there are objections to the plans.

Such applications are required to be presented to the council’s planning committee to be decided.

If permission for the development is revoked, the application will come before the council’s planning committee at a future meeting for determination.

Concerns have been raised by Rogiet Community Council and some residents about the development increasing traffic.

The community council said it was concerned over traffic increasing on Station Road, near to a primary school.

It also said that increasing traffic in an area with “poor pedestrian safety” is “of great concern”.

Writing on its official Facebook page, the community council said: “We understand that there are ongoing issues with on-street parking and that extra car parking spaces are needed, however we feel that this proposal for 172 pay and display parking spaces to the south of the station will not adequately address this.”

A planning report which recommended approval said the facility will encourage people to use public transport and reduce parking problems for residents in the area.

While the station already has parking facilities, there is a ‘shortfall’ of spaces which leads to parking on residential streets near to the station in Rogiet.

The plans for the car park include 10 spaces with electric vehicle charging points and a further 16 which could be converted in the future.

Councillors on Monmouthshire’s planning committee will consider revoking permission for the development at a meeting next Tuesday, December 7.