Sir

I am rather concerned about the views expressed by readers regarding the council's enforcement of pavement use by traders.

This is not petty bureaucracy. The council acted after years of pressure from the disabled of Monmouth including the Vision Impaired.

As people are now living longer, more will at some stage suffer some form of disability, the most common being vision impairment, hearing loss and limited mobility. When that happens lives take on a different perspective.

Many people who are vision-impaired find the navigation of Monnow Street very intimidating especially Fridays and Saturdays . Gullies, grids and the varying pavement widths do not help. The recommended way to accompany a vision-impaired person is to walk alongside allowing them to hold on to the companion's elbow.

If I walk alongside my vision-impaired husband in Monnow Street, there is not enough space for us during shop-opening times and one of us is regularly forced off the pavement. (Readers may also be interested to know that a number of school children and apparently parents are genuinely unaware of the significance of a white walking stick.)

Other vision-impaired people use a long white cane, the tip of which bears a spherical wheel allowing the user to anticipate the gradient of the pavement directly in front of them. It is also moved from side to side in order to detect the width of uninterrupted space ahead. Has anyone ever considered what a hazard A-boards are to such people?

It is not unknown for a spherical wheel to go into the triangular space between the 2 faces of an A-board, giving the user a misleading impression of unobstructed space or becoming momentarily stuck, causing a blind person to stumble. So are A-boards really necessary?

Some years ago I, along with a number of other men and women volunteers from Monmouth, attended several emergency training courses run at County level.

One of the first things taught was that low signs were only visible when there were no people around! Practical exercises were frequently done to prove this point.

Once people appear on the scene the information needs to be placed at a higher level. Therefore can we assume that Monmouth's A-boards are only informative to ghosts, literate toddlers and dogs? Would suspended signs at a higher level not be more practical?

Operators of scooters for disabled and people with pushchairs must also find great difficulties. The only commendable highlight in traversing Monnow Street seems to be the pedestrian crossing with its helpful bleeper. Together with the timing of the lights, this must be the best crossing in the county!

I do not think Monmouthshire County Council can justifiably be accused of suddenly jeopardising business survival. I rather think that pressure caused by high rents demanded by landlords has encouraged more overspill on to pavements than is permitted by current regulations.

However I do believe the council is negligent by condoning the senseless scheduling of rubbish collections from the town centre on Fridays, a peak shopping day. Monmouth's main street is invariably strewn with black sacks until as late as midday and beyond.

Apart from being hazardous, this must surely have a discouraging effect on visitors, (especially Europeans whose rubbish collections are done discreetly before their shop-opening hours).

I believe there is a strong case to plan for our collective longevity. I therefore agree with Deborah Devauden about pedestrianising Monnow Street at least twice a week thus. creating a relaxed, hassle-free zone for able-bodied and disabled shoppers alike, the right environment for various markets and encouraging an appropriate supporting café culture.

Angela Hoyle

(Monmouth)