MONMOUTH has a new Area General Manager, appointed by the County Council.

Lee Robson, aged 38, will be responsible for Monmouth town and the surrounding areas including Mitchel Troy, Trellech and Raglan.

He sees his job as bringing the Council closer to the people. He will be a trouble-shooter with access to all the Council's departments. Members of the public and community councils have to deal with a number of different officers to find out information.

"The problem is often knowing who to go to," he said. "I will be able to liaise with all departments to find out what the situation is."

He is anxious to underline the fact that he is not just covering Monmouth, but the whole of the surrounding rural area as well and will be consulting all the community councils.

He has quashed fears that his appointment means the end of local democracy and a weakening of the role of local councils. He sees his job as strengthening their role, advising them and helping them achieve their objectives.

"This is a new post. At the moment it is a blank page and I want to make a success of it," he said.

"I want to find ways of talking to people who haven't traditionally had their say. I want to listen to all views, even those of the silent majority.

"I aim to be an ambassador for the County Council and an irritant when necessary, finding out why things have not been done."

He is well aware of the issues which are important to the area - the Monnow Bridge, housing, employment issues and rural transport and will be looking at the White Paper published last week to see if anything can be done to improve that.

Lee took up his post two weeks ago and is in the process of meeting local councils, listening to people and finding out what they see as priorities. At present he will be based between the Council's area offices in Monmouth and Usk.

He seems well qualified for his role. He graduated in politics from Warwick University and spent 10 years in the housing department of Cardiff City Council. For the past 18 months he has been a lecturer at Bridgend College in trade union studies.

Outside work he is a keen footballer.