A Grand Designs-style home on a busy road has won a planning battle - all because a new 20mph speed limit was brought in.

The modern three-storey home was proposed to be built on the bend of a busy main road in a Welsh border town.

Monmouthshire planners initially refused the scheme due to traffic safety concerns on the 30mph road, before the Welsh Government .

And since the limit on the road in Chepstow, South Wales, was slowed from 30mph to 20mph the decision can be overturned.

The house, within a Georgian conservation area, was initially said to have no objections to its design when planning officers considered it.

A Grand-Designs-style home in Chepstow, South Wales has won a planning battle thanks to the new 20mph speed limit imposed by the Welsh Government

The house, within a Georgian conservation area, initially had no public objections

But it was refused after the Welsh Government raised concerns over the proposed development's vehicle access on the busy A48 road 

However the Welsh Government objected due to the proposed development's vehicle access which is part of the busy A48 trunk road into the town.

The applicants, who own the neighbouring Hardwick Cottage, appealed to Planning and Environment Decisions Wales and an independent inspector said the new lower 20mph speed limit meant the road safety objections were no longer valid.

The road was one of many across Wales that saw its limit lowered from 30mph to 20mph by Mark Drakeford's Welsh Labour Government.

The go-slow limit change was met with huge opposition and more than 460,000 people signed a petition calling for it to be revoked.

But independent planning inspector Anthony Thickett said the change in limit meant the initial objections to the house were now out of date.

He said: 'The speed limit when the appeal application was refused was 30mph, it is now 20mph.'

However the application was granted following an appeal, after an independent planning inspector ruled that the road's new speed limit of 20mph had rendered the objection on safety grounds out of date

He ruled that the lower limit would mean vehicles could easily meet the required stopping distance and drivers exiting the entrance will have better visibility in both directions.

He said: 'In these circumstances, insisting on a higher standard is unreasonable and unjustified. I conclude that the proposed development would not have an adverse impact on highway safety and complies with policy.'

Council planning officer Phil Thomas told officials of the decision.

He said: 'Much emphasis has been put on the reduced 20mph limit and the need for lower visibility splays and they can now meet these on this access.

'If it had been 30mph we don't know if it would be the same decision.'