Ideas put forward by Monmouthshire County Council (MCC) in conjunction with consultants for the Monnow Bridge and Gate were described as being "like Disneyland" by some town councillors at Monday night's meeting (28th January).

The final draft plans for the interpretation for Monmouth's medieval gatehouse – built around 1300 as part of the town's defences against Welsh raiders – included spending £3,991 on sandblasting seven hoof prints and seven boot prints and an inscription into red sandstone pavers to "reference the use of the bridge to herd cattle to market as well as the boot prints of soldiers defending the bridge".

The plan continues: "The precise location of the road graphics would depend on the outcome of further consultations".

Another £4,540 was earmarked for 'road graphics, naming and murage', to name the bridge in English and Welsh.

"By using Welsh on one side and English on the other, we could play on the idea of there being a Welsh side and an English side," the plan explains.

Councillors heard that MCC had a funding gap of £5,000 for the project and were asking the town council to support the plan with match funding.

The idea of the scheme received general favour, with mayor Gerry Bright saying it would be good for the town and that the council should look at ways to assist them.

However, Cllr Sue Chivers wondered what the urgency was if it was only a draft proposal and suggested the council should make no commitment into financially supporting the project.

"We need to discuss some parts of the plans, they are like Disneyland," she said.

Cllr Ann Were was sympathetic to Cllr Chivers and was concerned about the 'superfluous' amount of sandblasting proposed and dismissed ideas to use the money that had been earmarked for the railings outside Waitrose to support the project.

MCC had asked for comments on the interpretation plan by 31st January, but Cllr Chivers was perturbed by how little time members were given to respond and wanted Colin Phillips, MCC's special projects officer to explain the plan in more detail.

It appears that no money would be spent on Welsh translation for the project as MCC has its own in-house translator.

Improving access to the medieval gate house was also considered with the interpretation designed "with disabled audiences in mind, both in terms of an accessible 'universal design' approach and in the provision of specific media options".

This drew further comment from Cllr Chivers, who felt that the plans were in danger of sterilising the bridge.

"The public need to feel what it was really like," she said.

Cllr Hayward pointed out that MTC already had an agreement with Monmouth's Civic Society to open the gate room and it was agreed unanimously that the council should meet with the Civic Society to take this issue forward having already agreed to respond positively to MCC in principle and negotiate conditions of any financial agreement between them.