A FREE 95-space car park will be built in Monmouth.

The new car park to be situated on Rockfield Road, will play a part in Monmouthshire County Council’s (MCC) bid to provide more free car parking for the town.

MCC’s planning committee met yesterday (4th August) to approve the plans.

The car park will be built opposite Monmouth’s fire and ambulance station and adjacent to the new skatepark.

David Cummings, chairman of Monmouth and District Chamber of Trade and Commerce, who spoke at the planning meeting yesterday, welcomed the decision. He said: “We wholeheartedly support this car park.

“The Chamber has lobbied MCC since 2008 for a free car park in the town to be used mainly by the 1,000 people employed in the retail sector, some are on the minimum wage and some don’t have allocated car parking provision at their jobs.

“The Chamber feels the lack of parking has had an effect on the viability of the town.”

Councillor Alan Wintle of the Drybridge ward said: “I agree with everything Mr Cummings said. The car park is long overdue.”

Councillor Douglas Edwards voiced his concerns over adequate lighting at the site, stating that shop employees need to be able to safely use the car park at night and during winter.

Due to the presence of bats in the area, low level columns will be used to illuminate the car park.

Councillor Ruth Edwards said: “I fully agree we need adequate lighting, particularly for people working in the town. Low lighting I think will be very desirable. We can condition the report so we have adequate lighting.”

Monmouth Town Council’s planning committee recommended the plans for approval on Monday (3rd August). Informal concerns were made about certain design aspects but none were deemed sufficient to put into the formal recommendation. These concerns included the bollards with lights which if hit by cars and damaged would prove expensive to replace, and that the design prevented the use by HGVs and buses for overnight parking when the car park would be little used.

The plans were passed unanimously by MCC’s planning committee.