PLANNERS have given the go ahead for a new state-of-the-art community centre to be built in Raglan.

Councillors at yesterday's Monmouthshire County Council's planning committee meeting approved the designs for the community centre that will be constructed at Brooks Holdings off Station Road.

Cllr Peter Clarke, chairman of the planning committee said: "This is a well thought out design, however it appears to have one major flaw - the disabled toilet is on the upper floor."

Cllr Bob Greenland said: "The community centre is an attractive building and sits well in the environment, but I question the positioning of the car parking arrangements, taking up what could be used as a grassed area. "As this is a public building it should be sustainable and implement such measures as heat exchange."

Raglan councillor Andrew Crump confirmed that the applications were first submitted in 2004 and a number of changes have been suggested since.

He said: "The disabled toilets and heating issues are some of the measures under discussion."

During 2004, a questionnaire was sent out to establish if Raglan residents were prepared to support plans for a new facility. The Village Hall and Recreation Association completed the task, which came back with favourable results.

And as part of the public consultation process, user groups demonstrated why they have outgrown the building they currently share with the primary school - an arrangement that has been going on for three decades. The construction of a new hall is the first phase of Raglan Community Council's long term plans to provide a range of facilities including amenity open space and sports areas.

The site is presently occupied by a range of farm buildings, which will now be completely cleared from the site to make way for the new development. The centre has been designed as an L-shaped block and provides space on two floors for community activities.

The ground floor features a main hall, foyer, stage, meeting room, bowling alley, kitchen and cloak room/toilet facilities while the first floor comprises of a large activity room, youth room, computer suite, tea bar and toilet.

Cllr Crump added: "Now planning has been granted, the village hall committee can now get on with the hard work of obtaining grants for this building to become a reality."