IT is vital that the Unitary Development Plan is adopted as soon as possible otherwise it misses the deadline to become a key policy document, said Monmouthshire's head of planning.

George Ashworth said National Assembly planning inspector Phil Grainger had conducted the six-month inquiry where he considered 1,880 objections.

His draft 600-page report has now been received and it contains 400 individual recommendations. It has to be formally adopted before next July but in the meantime there is a six-week period of consultation early in the new year.

Speaking at a special cabinet meeting to discuss the report, Cllr Chris Woodhouse, cabinet member for environment said: "This is a milestone in the council's life and the emphasis is on expediency and to do it correctly, because we're going into the era of the Local Development Plan.

"We need to look at the process today and not get tied up with detail." Mr Ashworth said it was a good news story because the inspector has only increased their housing target from 4,561 to a modest 5,000.

He said among the housing sites was one in Gypsy Lane, Llanfoist where 90 houses were scheduled, together with the new village primary school. Another new housing site is in Ross Road, Abergavenny on the site of the former sewage treatment works.

Mr Ashworth added: "We have an application from Barrett's for the Gypsy Lane site, but this does not include the school so an amended plan will bring down the number of houses to 90."

Cllr Douglas Edwards was worried this would be on a greenfield site when these houses could be put on the brownfield site at Coopers.