A COUNCILLOR has claimed that a Labour-group leaflet which blames the Welsh Government for increasing the amount of housing earmarked for Cosmeston and Sully is "despicably false".

The Vale council's local development plan (LDP) has a target of building around 10,000 houses across the county over the next five years with each area being set an allocation of housing that than can be feasibly be built there.

The plan initially proposed 735 houses to be build in Cosmeston and Sully but a leaflet recently distributed by the Vale Labour group states that the inspector has increased this to 1076.

Independent councillor Kevin Mahoney, who represents Sully, said that comments attributed to Cllr Lis Burnett in the leaflet are "misleading" claiming that it was actually the Vale council who increased the allocation.

Cllr Kevin Mahoney called the claims that the inspector was responsible for the increase "disgraceful and despicably false" saying that this sort of decision is not within his remit.

But Cllr Lis Burnett, who is quoted in the leaflet, said that the changes were made as a result of "matters arising" during the recent hearing sessions at the examination of the LDP.

Cllr Mahoney said: "These claims are misleading. It is the Labour-led administration which has increased the proposed allocation.

"This sort of disgraceful misleading behaviour is just not acceptable."

Councillor Lis Burnett said that the LDP was agreed by council in October 2013 and again in June 2015, before it was submitted to the Welsh Government for examination by an independent inspector.

"It specified a total allocation of 735 houses for Sully and Cosmeston, a reduction from the previous LDP allocation of 1100," she said.

"Any changes since are as a result of matters arising during the hearing sessions of the examination.

"Needless to say if the inspector had agreed our LDP as submitted there would still be an allocation of 735 houses in Sully and Cosmeston."

In September 2016, it was revealed that the allocation for housing on the Upper Cosmeston Farm site was to be increased from 235 to 576.

Cllr Mahoney and fellow Sully councillor Bob Penrose have opposed the increased allocation citing the increased congestion on nearby roads as well as pressure on school places and the doctor's surgery.