Traders angry over road closure (From Free Press Series)

Traders angry over road closure

TRADERS in Abergavenny who are unhappy about the closure of Cross Street for five hours a day, are demanding a meeting with the Bryn y Cwm committee.

More than 30 of them met Monmouth AM David Davies at the King's Head Hotel on Monday morning to voice their concerns over the closure of the street by Monmouthshire County Council.

The council suspended the closure from December 22 until last Thursday after complaints from traders that Abergavenny was a 'ghost town' in the run-up to Christmas.

David Harris, head of highways, said they needed a reasonable trial so the public could adjust to the closure hours between 11am - 4pm and councillors would review the situation after three months.

He added: "It probably takes three to four weeks before people get used to the scheme, it takes time for things to settle down."

Ken Watkins of the King's Head said: "A petition was started last Friday calling for a review of the road closure and this is circulating among the premises affected.

"The traders at the meeting were unanimous in their concerns and we are now asking for a meeting with the Bryn y Cwm committee. We also plan to hand over individual letters of concern and the petition to Cllr Giles Howard at the One-Stop Shop."

Andy Hinksman of the Classic Phone Company in Cross Street said the general feeling was that visitors to the town would be put off when they saw an empty main street.

He added: "It does not look inviting, and we want the council to do something about informing strangers to the town where they can park, and assure them the town is open for business.

" Perhaps the council should look at a scheme like they have in Tenby where the main street is closed to traffic just for the tourist season."