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ANGER has been voiced after developers cut down trees and removed hedgerows on a site in Cwmbran in breach of a planning condition. Developers Bron Afon cut down a number of trees on land off Newport Road, Llantarnam, next to the former Three Blackbirds Inn pub, ahead of building 22 homes on the site. Planning permission for the development has already been granted, but one of the conditions of it sought to protect trees and hedgerows on the site, by requiring a landscaping scheme to be approved before any works started. Llantarnam councillor Alan Slade said residents are “heartbroken” by the works carried out, which affected two hedgerows and has seen around 60 trees cut down.
They agreed the long-term ambition should be to fully restore the canal, a project estimated to cost £110-million. Rachel Jowitt, the council’s chief officer of neighbourhoods, planning and public protection, said this would be “a truly ambitious project at a scale rarely seen outside of major cities”. The committee also recommended that the council aims to restore the canal from Pontypool to Cwmbran town centre so that it is navigable within the next five years. Cllr Dave Thomas, who put forward the recommendation, said it would be “an absolute game-changer if we could do that”. Cllr Huw Bevan said it would also open up tourism opportunities and increased connectivity, with boaters able to use the canal.