SIR,
The letters regarding the return of the market to Agincourt Square have made interesting reading.
At the very start of the Shire Hall project, it was understood that the market would return to the Shire Hall, with the space limited by the glass loggia.
The railings (not included in the original plan) will be useful for traders to display their wares.
During the last (almost) three years there has been time to rethink the available space required for the larger market stalls.
The answer would be to close Agincourt Street on a Friday and Saturday, to accommodate the overspill of larger stalls, with two way entry to the rear of Beaufort Court from Glendower Street.
The road closure worked successfully when the gas main renewal closed Agincourt Street in the summer of 2010.
It has been stated that Monmouthshire County Council (MCC) Highways Department will charge hundreds of pounds to close Agincourt Street for two days a week from 7am until 4pm.
The parking section of MCC have closed 32 parking spaces every Friday and Saturday since April 2008, resulting in the loss of over £200 every week (32 spaces at 40p per hour, eight hours per day, two days a week).
The closure of these parking spaces prevents residents and tourists visiting the lower end of Monmouth.
It is essential that a public meeting is held in the Shire Hall to ascertain the future of the market in Monmouth.
N Deacen
(Overmonnow)