SIR, May I ask a question? "What is wrong with Monmouth town?" Why are all new businesses bypassing our town as if Monmouth doesn't exist? To me this is a worrying factor when we look to the future of the commercial side of our town. The town is having more and more houses built in the catchment area but the amenities and the shopping areas are not expanding at the same pace. The ongoing debate about keeping our town 'as it is' – that family business' comes first – is all well and good but is this enough to draw extra customers to town to spend cash? Why am I opening up this debate again, which has been aired before by myself and Mr Starkie? It is because I am afraid of a worrying trend which is happening around us. Why is the National Eisteddfod going to Abergavenny without a second thought of Monmouth's Chippenham fields? Why are most of the new businesses on their way to Abergavenny, including national stores such as Poundland, B&M Stores and the fastest growing food store in the nation, Aldi? All these stores bring much-needed footfall with money into the shopping areas as well as looking after families on a small budget, maybe we would not need a food bank in the town. I enquired with the Poundland management about their future plans and was informed that Monmouth was not on their radar but maybe Ross-on-Wye or Hereford. Monmouth has a new shop opening soon where Choices was. Unsuprisingly it is going to be another charity shop. These stores I have mentioned can all trade side by side with our family businesses, bringing a lot of new clients plus badly needed jobs. Monmouth could thrive off them. I am one of the first to say Monmouth is a beautiful town but let us promote Monmouth as an important and beautiful town to live and work in and hopefully attract some of these new stores in our town. John Morgan (Wyesham)