THE long awaited re-development of the former Bennions garage site is expected to start next month.

Andrew Symonds, of Cannerton Properties Ltd, has announced the time scale for the phased development and given a pledge to cause as little disruption as possible to the town centre while work is in progress.

The news was welcomed by the deputy mayor of Newent, Coun Bill Offord, who said: "Building work in the centre of town is normally disruptive, but generally speaking people will be pleased and will put up with inconvenience.

"That site has been an eyesore for too long."

Mr Symonds said: "We will demolish the old garage and canopy first. That will take two to three weeks."

This is likely to be one of the most disruptive phases, involving the breaking of concrete and tarmac and either the filling or the lifting of the old fuel tanks.

Mr Symonds said: "The whole site is covered with concrete and tarmac."

Then, the five front flats off Broad Street will be built, over three to four months.

The garage forecourt area will be used to take deliveries of materials and these will be limited to one a day.

Mr Symonds said: "We can't say there will be no disruption, but it will be kept to a minimum."

The 13 new houses will be built next, with a view to that phase of the work being completed within 12 months.

Lastly, the listed Bennions building, dating back the 18th Century, will be converted into five flats, in accordance with the listed building consent now granted by the Forest of Dean District Council.

Mr Symonds is still awaiting confirmation that "planning gain" agreements, including payments to the district council and Gloucestershire County Council, are in order.

He said he had already made the required £20,000 payment to the county council. This money is for highways improvements.

Mr Symonds said he had reached an agreement with the district council that £60,000 towards social housing and new children's play facilities in Newent, off Watery Lane and at Lakeside, will only be paid when the first five properties on the Bennions site have been built and sold.

Mr Symonds said he had been in talks with Forest of Dean planners this week, and was hopeful that the necessary agreements would be "with him very shortly.