I write to object to the absurd decision of Monmouthshire County Council to cut off Wyesham from the rest of Monmouth for the duration of the Wye Bridge repairs as reported in last week’s Beacon (2/08/2023). I feel the colossal disruption it will cause, deep displeasure many locals feel towards these plans, and MCC’s compete ignorance and lack of empathy towards the local community’s needs, should be highlighted.

Nobody is denying the repairs are necessary, or essential, due to the sorry state of the bridge after decades of neglect by successive councils, but to close it for 24 hours a day for 5 weeks (and that is if it keeps to schedule!) is frankly ludicrous, and beyond unfair to the residents of Wyesham and it’s surrounding areas, who will have to make a 20-30 mile trip one way just to make town or get anywhere in its vicinity, unless they walk or ride a bike. Has anyone actually considered the momentous impact this will have on our community?!

On the parents/child minders who need to get to school on time through this long detour? Those pregnant who may urgently need to get to hospital? The elderly and vulnerable who rely on the bus services and carers to make visits- sometimes multiple - a day? Those needing to get to doctors/hospital/optician appointments or prescriptions without public transport or incurring extortionate taxi fairs if they don’t/can’t drive or walk? Local businesses such as Lidl, Screwfix and those down Hadnock road who will take a massive financial hit as customers won’t make a 60 mile round trip to shop there?

How about those who need to get to work from Wyesham 5, 6 or 7 days a week such as myself, which adds on around 360 miles of travel a week -or a ridiculous 1800 over 5!! - to the journey? Who has to finance the fuel for my car? ME! Who has to take wear and tear on the car down narrow, windy country roads that could be any of icy/ flooded/foggy/pitch dark/covered in snow at the time of year being proposed; thereby meaning a higher possibility of traffic accidents and further potential road closures. Oh look, ME again!

With all the traffic heading down these roads, they will be significantly busier, which could cause delays - Will I even make it home to fetch my daughter from school on time after work? The impact on my family and those like us will be massive.

Myself and others have long suggested it would be a much better idea to pedestrianise the current bridge and build a new vehicular one. “There isn’t the budget” we’re told. Funny how there was the budget to build one at the bottom end of town when THAT was needed; that the council could find a spare £20 million to purchase of a loss-making retail centre in another authority. Oh and let’s not forget all the money wasted on the travesty that is Monnow Street! Why should Wyesham be treated differently?

Why an earth was this planning order to close Wye Bridge submitted and not discussed with the general public first? It’s going to effect a ridiculous amount of people and clearly we were expected to ‘baa’ like the sheep we’re seen to be and just accept being cut off from the rest of the town for 5 weeks.

Will we still get post? Doubt it - we already don’t get it every day. Will delivery drivers from Amazon, Yodel etc fancy a half hour each way detour to reach us? Probably not. Milkmen/supermarket & takeaway delivery drivers/tradesmen etc? Shouldn’t think so. Will our rubbish and recycling continue to be collected? Who knows! Will we be compensated or rebated as council tax payers for the massive disruption and additional fuel costs this will cause on top of a cost of living crisis? Not on your life!!

Can arctic lorries negotiate the narrower backroads and still come to the Wyesham shop and Lidl to provide supplies for the elderly and those who can’t get to town? Presumably the buses won’t bother coming as it wouldn’t be worth their while taking the detour; ditto taxi drivers; so people are effectively stranded if they can’t walk or drive. All this needs to be considered and explained to us, the residents, before we’re just abandoned for 5 weeks. It might not mean much to the decision makers, but closing Wyesham off for over a month could have a catastrophic effect on small businesses, livelihoods and the physical and mental health of some members of the community. A public meeting should have been held, outlining exactly why the bridge has to be closed 24/7, with substantially better communication; our own councillor had not even shared it with us - I found out via a social media leak from a different councillor, others via the Beacon. For those who don’t use Facebook or read local press, maybe they’re STILL unaware! It’s unacceptable and shows a criminal lack of consideration and respect to the residents the closure will effect most.

Will the bridge workers be there continuously for 24 hours a day as we’re told? (Can’t see it!) And how does limited access for emergency services work? 20 minutes delay waiting to cross could be all the difference in someone living and dying from a heart attack or in a fire. The list goes on and on…

We’re told we will be able to use the new Wyebridge street car park to leave vehicles in as we walk over. Righto, so what happens when that’s filled with Boys School students/staff? And will it even be finished in time, as it seems to be taking a small eternity?!!

Above all else: why could a temporary alternative access not be organised over the period the bridge is closed? It’s not like MCC hasn’t known this time was coming is it?! Could the army not be consulted and asked to build a temporary Bailey bridge for traffic to cross the river without the giant detour? It’s surely something worth exploring. Have local landowners been consulted to see if a temporary access could be put in across their land? Has this even been considered or the question asked? Have other alternative solutions been explored like funding/grants from the Welsh government?

Monmouthshire County Council have a lot to answer for with the state the bridge is in, and its repeated unwise spending. Now they abandon their constituents without a backward glance, and show a major lack of transparency whilst continuing to reap and waste our council tax. Shameful!

Alex Hill (Wyesham)