SIR,
The Shire Hall came alive again with the arrival of the Christmas Market last Wednesday (1st December).
As I understand, the market will be at the Shire Hall again today (8th December).
When Monmouthshire County Council (MCC) applied to the Heritage Lottery Fund for £3.1 million to renovate the Shire Hall, the county used the strap line "A Hall for All".
This included the market and the customers from the community who used the market.
We understood the temporary move of the market to cattle market car park would be for the duration of the renovation work.
But the Shire Hall area was cleared of security fencing for the Rolls Centenary Celebration on 12th July 2010.
After that date the market should have returned to Shire Hall.
In a recession, the shops need customers to use the 36 car parking spaces that have been occupied by the Friday and Saturday markets since April 2008.
And the county needs to collect the parking charges to help keep down our Council Tax charges.
It is time MCC moved the market back to the Shire Hall.
N Deacen
Overmonnow)