SIR,

In your "Beacon View" column of 12th November you asked the question - "Why is it, when the County Council considers a major project, Monmouth is never considered?"

Could it be that the Council has been told not to consider any major development of Monmouth?

Monmouthshire County Council is currently drafting and consulting on its 10 year Local Development Plan (LDP) which will govern all aspects of development in the County from 2010. At the Council Meeting on 5th November the Council was asked to approve the LDP Draft Options Report.

On page 10 of that report are the following statements: Abergavenny and Chepstow are "key settlements", which should be the focus for the area's future development.... These settlements must be successful in their own right and, where appropriate, function as service and employment hubs for surrounding settlements.

These hubs will provide the central framework around which high capacity sustainable transport links will be developed. A wider range of facilities and services, which add to employment opportunities, should be delivered locally within the hub settlements to reduce the overall need to travel.

The Council considers that Monmouth should also have been identified as a "key settlement" because of its good facilities and transport links, but this was not agreed by WAG."

Perhaps you and all your readers who have the Town's long term interests at heart should be re-directing your efforts for a better deal for the town away from County Hall and towards the Welsh Assembly.

All the documents relating to the LDP – including all the sites that have been suggested to the Council as suitable for development under the Plan – are available on the Council's web site.

Local interests can only prevail over central dictats from Cardiff if people make their views known by participating in the development of the LDP and making sure their AMs and MP are aware of their concerns about it. We in CPRW will be doing our best to make these concerns known.

Bill Butler

(Hon Sec. Monmouthshire

CPRW, Catbrook)

(Monmouth)