“WE really do feel like the forgotten end of town,” said one business owner after Church Street in Monmouth has been undergoing building and maintenance works which to them feels never ending and is massively impacting footfall in the street.

“We have been on Church Street for 10 years now and it just seem to be one thing after another. With the roadworks in the street and then the water works coming up Church Street and now all of the scaffolding, it really is having a negative impact on the business.”

Business owners and residents have massively supported one another through this challenging time. Owners of Creates, Ben Price and Kenny Staples created a Church Street Facebook page to post updates and information about the street to this platform which has already reached over 800 followers.

“With the scaffolding as well at the moment I think we just need to draw more attention to the street and all the amazing business that we have got down here that need to be celebrated,” said Kenny.

The Beacon spoke to a number of residents to hear what they loved about Church Street.

“It’s one of my favourite streets,” said one resident.

“I consider Church Street to be one of the prettiest streets in Monmouth,” said another.

But shops are feeling the impact of ongoing building works, and for some businesses, customers are unsure if their open.

“We’ve had lots of people including friends saying they would not think we are here. They have actually phoned up to make sure we are up here because they think there’s nothing up the street, said owner of Woody’s Attic.

“You’ve got to remember that the shops are open. People thought we were closed when they couldn’t get through because of the scaffolding,” said a volunteer at the British Red Cross.