Monmouth Town Council are putting plans in place to improve the cleanliness of Monmouth’s iconic bridge and gatehouse.

The council have received several complaints about the state of Monnow Bridge and its gatehouse and are planning to act on them, the matter was discussed at the last People and Places committee meeting.

The main complaint raised was bird waste, however chewing gum and general upkeep were also issues of concern. Permission from Cadw is required to make sure any equipment used is suitable.

Cllr Anthea Dewhurst tentatively suggested tackling the problem at the cause, the pigeons. She even suggested asking the community if we should ’lose the pigeons’.

Cllr Sue White remarked on an old local campaign to encourage people not too feel the seagulls and pigeons around the bridge, but that has since subsided.

Councillors discussed the logistics of closing the Monnow Bridge for cleaning, but were worried about the impact of closing the bridge to pedestrians. The committee voted for the proposals to clean the bridge.