CONCERNS over the appearance of a high street building continue to grow.

No. 20 Monnow Street, for many years a shop that shone as Christophers’ jewellers, has fallen into a state of disrepair and the frontage has been boarded off following concerns of injuries to shoppers.The Beacon reported on 13th March that archaeologists feared a repeat of history and that the building would be demolished following reports that the owner believed the building to be beyond economic repair.The heritage team at Monmouthshire County Council (MCC) convinced the owner to arrange for the building to be clad in scaffolding and he is currently undertaking a ’soft strip’ investigation to ascertain what is happening to the building.At a planning meeting of Monmouth town councillors on Monday, 29th April, it emerged that chair Rob Caffel had spoken to head of planning at MCC, Mark Hand about an immediate resolution particularly with the façade of the building, suggesting such remedies as a permanent decorated hoarding or a sheath covering the entirety of the front.Cllr Caffel told the Beacon yesterday (30th April) that the building was "a complete and utter eyesore" and that he understood that MCC were waiting for a full structural survey and are not prepared to say whether it is or is not repairable before the report has been read, although he was under the impression the building was "safe".Cllr Caffel confirmed that he stressed that discussion has been ongoing for two years and "decisions need to be made".Cllr Dewhurst raised the possibility of discussing the issue at the Central Monmouth Area meeting today, Wednesday 1st May and it was agreed that she would raise questions about the building and the ongoing plan for the building at the meeting.Cllr Jupp suggested that the town be informed of the ongoing issue in the hope that they will rally in support. It was agreed that the first step is to determine what state of repair the building is in, what can be done immediately to improve the look of the building on the high street and to raise some publicity around the state of the building so that the public are aware of what is going on and what MTC are trying to do about the situation. A spokesman for Monmouthshire County Council said they have commissioned a full structural survey to assess the current condition of the building. "The information from the survey will be taken into consideration and we will work with the owners to reach a suitable conclusion to benefit both the building and its impact on the high street."If listed building consent or planning application is required, the applications will be advertised to provide an opportunity for all to view and comment."With high street premises in the spotlight, Cllr Jane Gunter expressed her concern over the building that was formerly the Vine Tree pub falling into disrepair and called on Monmouth Town Council to "keep an eye on this building". It was agreed that the planning committee will include an item on the next agenda to discuss any further buildings on the high street that either have potential to fall into significant disrepair or are already showing signs of disrepair so that they can be brought to the attention of the owners and the MCC team.