SIR,

We really have super humans working at Monmouthshire County Council.

In the Beacon (16th March) Debbie McCarty issued a statement stating that a business plan for the Shire Hall and a decision on the siting of the market was being developed and would be ready for discussion in a few months time.

Then last week (Beacon 23rd March) Kellie Beirne has not only written the plan, but it is being discussed at council and recommends that the market stays where it is as we are going to host weddings and conferences in the Shire Hall and the market will get in the way.

These are two officials who are supposed to be working together.

No wonder everything is a shambles.

Are we really expected to believe that we are going to have a vast number of weddings and events in the Shire Hall which will generate more income than weekend markets which occur for 52 weeks of the year?

I would also point out that so-called mid-week niche markets have been trialled unsuccessfully in the past.

It also seems that they do not want to take into account the impact that the Agincourt Square market has on overall trade. Not only at the top end of town but throughout the town.

It seems however that the views of the rate payers and business community count for nothing.

I know of no-one whose views have been canvassed on this matter despite the fact that there is a petition signed by nearly 3,000 people calling for the market to be returned to Agincourt Square.

The original market traders were promised in writing that the market would be returned to the square.

The Heritage Fund proposal for the Shire Hall funding had the market as an integral part of the Shire Hall development.

The legal charter states that a market takes precedence and must be in the square.

But what the hell!

It seems our unelected officials do not have to take any of this into account in this day and age of high-tech, cutting-edge requirements.

Come on Monmouth if you want to keep Monmouth as a market town have a go at the decision makers.

Write to the press, your AM and MP and mainly your County Councillors who can stop this farce now.

Neill Bell

(Monmouth)