SIR,
I have just seen Monmouthshire County Council's (MCC) plan to reduce the width of our main throughfare by widening both the pavements at the top of Monnow Street between Agincourt Square and St Johns Street.
This will reduce the width of the road to only 3.5 metres, a little more than two car widths, effectively stopping traffic passing within this length of road.
I am deeply concerned that this will cause the town's traffic to come to a complete standstill.
The town's residents all know that traffic is already often brought to a standstill throughout the town from the bottom to the top of Monnow Street.
We are assured that the widened pavements will have angled kerbs, allowing traffic to pass by mounting the extended pavement areas (shared space).
Rather than enhancing pedestrian safety in the area, I can foresee the serious risk of injury with vehicles mounting areas of the pavement at random.
New signage for the scheme will mean much more street clutter with the erection of no less than 12 new road signs around the town.
All this for a 'six month' temporary scheme to judge the effects, when (if we have to try it at all) one weekend would suffice.
Lucky for them, the council's Cwmbran-based staff will not have to live with the daily consequences, hold-ups and frustration we will all have to face.
Finally, why are MCC spending our precious money on such an unnecessary scheme when we are told they have no money and are having to look at cutting spending on essential services?
Is it to ensure they spend this year's budget in order to justify another rise in our Council Tax next year?
How do we halt this ridiculous scheme before it brings our town to a complete stop?
Martin Howlett
(Monmouth)