CONTROVERSIAL plans for a Welcome Centre in Monmouth, close to the ancient Monnow Bridge, received a setback this week after council officers heard that their application for funding to the Welsh Assembly Government (WAG) was not successful. Whilst the announcement has not been made official yet, Monmouthshire County Council's Corporate Director Steve Greenslade, understands that the plans for the centre were not supported. He said: "This decision is a huge blow for Monmouth. The Welcome Centre project was designed by the Council after extensive consultation in the town and the County Council had committed capital funding to it within its medium term capital programme. "However, the project is unlikely to be affordable in the timescale envisaged without Assembly support. Consequently it will not be open for the Ryder Cup in 2010 and the expected influx of visitors to Monmouth and the surrounding area. "The Welcome Centre would have vastly improved the lower end of town in preparation for this major Wales event and would have helped bring further business to the tourist trade in Monmouthshire after the Ryder Cup had left. "However, we will investigate other sources of funding for the Welcome Centre." The Beacon received dozens of letters from readers opposed to the concept of a Welcome Centre. It is believed close on £3million was expected from the Welsh Assembly for the tourist project, with over half a million pounds coming from the County Council. The Cabinet member for economic development and tourism, Councillor Bob Greenland said: "This imaginative scheme, which has been in the planning for two years, had the backing of Monmouth Town Council and the Chamber of Commerce amongst many others. "Although there has been some opposition to the scheme raised in the past few weeks, many people have expressed their personal support for the scheme to me. I am not sure if the opponents influenced the decision of WAG, but clearly their late intervention has not helped. "I do want to thank our employees for the work and enthusiasm they have put into the project, which may in some form go ahead at a later date. "If an amended scheme emerges, as before, the public will be consulted at an early stage. That will be the time for those who disagree with the proposals to say so." Counc Greenland said the announcement was undoubtedly a body blow to Monmouth and he admitted the decision had been unexpected. The decisions on other projects submitted under the Rural Development Plan are due in June. The town's Assembly Member, Nick Ramsay, said on Tuesday that the decision appeared a "strange development". He said he had received more letters on the subject of the Welcome Centre than any other issue. "I shall be looking into why the County Council appears to be losing money which it thought it was going to get" added Mr Ramsay.
