SIR, It is indeed fantastic news for the town that a new 60 bedroom three star plus hotel has now moved much closer to realisation. On Monmouthshire County Council's own figures this will result in a £1 million boost annually for the economy of the town. (Based on the bed stock survey and STEAM report). Some readers and businesses will no doubt be aware of the nine year crusade of lobbying of MCC by the chamber and the hundreds of hours spent engaging with stakeholders, developing interest and helping MCC overcome obstacles to reach this milestone. With only 90 bedrooms in town, Monmouth has for so long lacked enough serviced accommodation for us to attract the numbers of tourists and business visitors we deserve, compared to Ross (estimated 250 beds), and hold more weddings so we can compete with the likes of Usk. It is important to stress that the proposed hotel will only have a small integral restaurant side (no Brewer's Fayre or equivalent) for breakfasts and snacks, so we envisage that residents will walk into town to take lunch, or an evening meal, at one of our excellent restaurants and cafes. It would be remiss of me not to recognise and appreciate the substantial financial investment most existing providers of accommodation have made recently to ensure that their accommodation offering is up to, or exceeds, the expected contemporary standards. David Cummings (Chairman of Monmouth Chamber of Trade and Commerce)