MEMBERS of Monmouth Town Council are not satisfied with the answer they have received from the County Council about the publication of planning notices.

The Council have complained about the County's policy of advertising planning notices in The South Wales Argus and Free Press series of newspapers, instead of local weekly newspapers like The Monmouthshire Beacon and its sister paper The Abergavenny Chronicle.

Jeff Martin, who was the County Council's Acting Chief Executive, sent the Town Council a copy of a letter he had sent to the Editor of The Chronicle.

In it he said that the County's decision to advertise in The Argus was not a recent one, it was made by Monmouth Borough Council about 10 years ago.

Previously the Council placed planning notices in The Chronicle, Beacon, Pontypool Free Press and Argus, depending on location.

However, said Mr Martin, two issues emerged. The Council received complaints from members of the public who queried their interpretation of the catchment area for each paper If a notice for a planning application in Raglan was placed in The Chronicle, an objector would claim it should be in The Beacon.

The cost of advertising in four newspapers was becoming prohibitive so a decision was made that all planning notices should appear in The Argus on a Thursday. The recent change was that the adverts would appear on a Wednesday.

In addition the Council had to choose to advertise either in The Argus and Newport Press or Argus and Press Group which they chose.

Previously, he said, the notices only appeared in The Argus and the latest measures seemed an enhancement of previous coverage.

Press notices were not the only method of advertising or informing the public about planning applications. In law the Council could also issue neighbourhood notific-ation letters and could post notices on structures or near the boundary of the application site. Legislation allowed them to choose the most appropriate method although in reality they tended to use two or three of the methods outlined.

Mr Martin said he was confident that the Council was meeting its overall statutory obligations regarding publicity for planning applications.

Cllr Johnanthan Russell said the reply from Mr Martin was totally inadequate.

Cllr Charles Boase said they did not need to be reminded of the days when Monmouth Borough Council advertised controversial planning notices in The Argus on Christmas Eve.

The circulation citted by The Argus took no account of the readership. "In this area people don't read The Argus," he said. "What's the good of advertising in a paper no one reads."

The Council agreed to write again to Mr Martin.