Vale of Glamorgan Council leader Councillor Neil Moore has responded to a letter from local MP Alun Cairns regarding the decision to market the site of a former cattle market for a supermarket.

Mr Cairns described "shock and anger" in his letter opposing turning the site into a medium-sized food retailer, calling for a more "sympathetic" development for the town.

In his response, Cllr Moore reassures that the development will not go ahead without formal retail assessment and community consultation, as part of a future planning application.

He also wrote that the new supermarket would create jobs in the town, which are needed to mitigate the economic impact of the pandemic, and emphasised the need for an imaginative and sensitively-designed masterplan.

The full letter reads:

"Thank you for your letter dated 10th February 2021 in relation to the above, but perhaps you need to consider your comments in light of the current economic situation within the Vale of Glamorgan.

"It is clear that the current dire economic situation faced by the country is exacerbated due to the ongoing pandemic.

"As a result, there is clearly an unprecedented need to support and create new jobs and where possible strengthen the retail offer of our town centres and the current proposals do just that.

"This is of course, subject to formal retail assessment as part of the planning process.

"You will be aware of the excellent work completed a year or so ago by the Cowbridge Charter Trust who demolished and cleared a semi-derelict former cattle pen area in liaison with the council.

"The community led project successfully exposed section of the magnificent town wall and created new space for additional public car parking.

"Following on from the success of the trust scheme, we are keen to pursue the next stage of the comprehensive regeneration of this area aimed at redeveloping the former livestock market site and physical enhancing the car park and areas alongside the town wall.

"This will create the opportunity to positively transform this part of the town centre and enhance the setting of the town wall.

"As I'm sure you will appreciate delivering a quality physical regeneration scheme fitting for this location will require significant capital investment.

"The council proposes to therefore market and dispose the former livestock market site for a food retail development and associated car parking, to raise a vital capital receipt to fund the comprehensive regeneration of the Vale of Glamorgan councils land on both sides of The Butts.

"Furthermore, as was made clear in the report to cabinet of 8th of February 2021, any food retail development proposal will be subject to the statutory consents.

"Hence, community consultation will obviously be undertaken as part of the planning application process by the preferred developer in due course and new food retail store will be required to complement the retail offer of existing local businesses.

"Hence, at planning application stage, a food retail store proposal will be subject to a retail need assessment/impact assessment requiring a perspective developer to prove (through a retail impact assessment) but there was enough capacity in the Cowbridge retail area to warrant such a use without harming the Cowbridge town centre.

"You should be assured that the council remains committed to delivering as part of the regeneration project enhanced publicly available car parking.

"The medium sized food retailer would include an on-site car park, which we will require to offer free parking for two hours and as stated we are also committed to reinvesting monies raised from the sale of the main site to facilitate a quality landscaped enhanced car park alongside the town wall.

"This project will therefore result in much improved landscaped parking areas.

"An emphasis will be placed on an imaginative and sympathetically designed master planned development scheme that must protect and enhance the conservation area and convey a strong sense of place hence, subject to assessment and community consultation as part of a future planning application, if viable the delivery of a medium size food retail store at this central sustainable location combined with improved car parking will positively transform this area.

"We have always been open and transparent about our intentions for the site in our regular discussions with the Chamber of Trade.

"Finally, I think it is important to note that feasibility work continues (funded by Vale of Glamorgan Council) concerning the viability of an Agri Hub to serve the region. Consultants PER Consulting have been re-appointed by the council and a refreshingly original report to reflect the current post-Brexit and covert economic climate and to identify potential funding sources.

"Discussions are continuing with farming unions and other stakeholders such as Bridgend CBC and Welsh Government.

"This is a great opportunity to boost Cowbridge's economy, enhance the local environment and deliver a major investment serving the needs of the wider community."