With a large pot of money available, Monmouth Town Council held an Extra Meeting on Monday night (9th December) to decide what projects should benefit from the recent windfall the recent housing developments in the town have brought.

The money has arisen from the levy applied to each plot a new house has been built on, known as 106 monies, and so far a total of just under half a million pounds has been accumulated with more to come.

The total will come to £900,000 once all the plots have been sold, with the money to be allocated for recreational, educational and transport purposes.

The recreational allocation presently stands at £439,574 – £200,000 from the Charles Church development, £189,000 from the Wyesham school plot and £37,500 from the Almshouse site – and it was this amount that councillors were to decide how to spend on capital funding projects within the Monmouth town area.

Councillor Stuart Wilson explained that £200,000 was earmarked for recreational projects in the Drybridge area and a further £65,000 for maintenance for things provided in the 106 scheme, a further £55,000 was earmarked for transport and the same amount for drainage and flooding schemes around the site.

In the Wyesham Infants school site, most of the money is to be spent on recreational parks and another £55,000 for a play area within the development.

The deadline to submit applications for funding schemes is 10th January, for the town council and any other groups, such as the football club or scout groups, who wish to apply for recreational or educational schemes that would qualify for 106 monies and improve their facilities.

Cllr Anne Were, unable to attend, wrote a letter suggesting some of the money be used to create allotments in the Overmonnow area and offered to look at the scheme and approach local landowners to see if they would be willing to rent out some land.

Cllr Graham Pritchard suggested a play area in Osbaston should be a priority for the council as the Drybridge play area needs resurfacing and the flood alleviation pond opposite the firestation needs improving with the addition of benches and notice boards.

Cllr Bob Hayward said negotiations had already taken place over the Osbaston play area, but that projects such as this create a cost of maintenance.

He suggested that an area suitable for allotments would be at Wallis Close, and said: "The idea of allotments is good, but does not require a lot of money, just a willingness from Monmouthshire County Council, but it is my intention to put a bid in for a play park at Osbaston."

Cllr Anthea Dewhurst suggested the access to Chippenham from the traffic lights, the path running alongside the A40, is dangerous and disgraceful, and could be made more pleasant to use.

Cllr Sue Chivers pointed out that a bandstand in town had been long-hoped for as the Town Band had nowhere to play, although she acceded that the positioning of the bandstand was a thorny issue.

Cllr Dewhurst did give some hope for the idea if it could be incorporated into the Gateway Project currently on-going by the ancient Monnow Bridge.

Cllr Gerry Bright inquired if the skateboard scheme was fully funded, the answer came from Cllr Brian Ramsey who said phase one was costing £89,000 with the £69,000 covenant from the Armed Forces Committee and the money raised themselves in the region of £12,000 to £15,000 would cover the first phase. Phase two is at the planning stage and they would be looking for another covenant to cover this.

Cllr Antony Owen made an impassioned plea for improving the cycle path from the Biblins to Monmouth along the Wye river, which he said was "difficult to negotiate given the number of stiles that cyclists have to carry their cycle over."

The projects voted for putting forward were: The Osbaston play area; allotments for each ward; support for the community group putting forward a bid for funding for the skateboard park.

Councillors Pritchard and Christopher were delegated to look into the resurfacing of the Drybridge play park and footway around the pond.

Cllr Dewhurst volunteered to investigate the footway along the A40 and was delegated to do so.

Cllr Owen was delegated to find out more information about the prospect of cycling provision and Wyesham councillors were delegated to look into the Tudor Road play park.

It was decided to defer the idea of a bandstand with notice boards failing to make a majority vote for inclusion in the list.