Last Saturday saw the final presentation of a scheme for Agincourt Square, Monmouth (Plan for Square under Public Scrutiny, Beacon 17th July) “to create a space dominated by people, historic buildings, and high quality surfaces, and not by the highway and associated traffic”. Hurrah!

But County Council officer Roger Hoggins and Town Mayor Richard Roden propose to spend £1 million of public money to replace the present black tarmac highway, yellow lines, pavements and kerbs, with a new red tarmac highway, yellow lines, pavements and kerbs, plus filling this historic place with lots of pedestrian crossings and signs telling people what to do. D’oh!

Unless a radical and imaginative scheme is put forward to alter driver behaviour, drivers will still dominate the space.

The whole square and the highway should both be re-surfaced in the same high quality stone to last 50-plus years, vehicle speed strictly limited, random parking ended, and pedestrians, cyclists, tourists, traders and cafes given more priority than cars. Without this the County and Town Councils will be wasting most of our £1 million taxpayer money. The town will continue to stumble on with scruffy streets, grotty footpaths, fast cars, expensive car parks, empty shops, and oh yes, red instead of black tarmac.

David Farnsworth (Trellech)