Council has got designs on centre (From Free Press Series)

Council has got designs on centre

A MAJOR facelift of Chepstow town centre is well under way and on target for November.

Developers moved into Bank Street and Beaufort Square at the end of last month to start phase two of the £1.7 million regeneration scheme, which Monmouthshire council say will result in some dramatic changes to the town centre.

And the first in a series of newsletters intended to keep residents informed about the progress of the scheme over the next few months has been released.

The leaflet provides details of proposed artwork and features of the scheme, which include a bronze sculpture of a boatman to celebrate Chepstow's riverside location and shipbuilding history.

Designers behind the scheme have also proposed a piece of artwork in commemoration of Chepstow war hero William Charles Williams, who was awarded the distinguished Victoria Cross for his role in the Gallipoli landings of the First World War.

Members of the Royal British Legion are being given the opportunity to choose appropriate artwork for the Williams VC by principal artist Howard Bowcott.

The Chepstow Regeneration Scheme will take place in phases with the aim of completing the project by mid-November.

The programme of work will be carried out as follows:

New paving in Bank Street along the footpath and carriageway will be complete by mid-July.

Major works in Beaufort Square were due to start at the beginning of April and are scheduled for completion towards the end of July, although the artwork will not be complete until September/October.

Work in the Barclays Bank Area will start in late July and August with those in Bank Square following on.

Work on the footways in High Street will start in mid-July, commencing from the left hand side uphill from Beaufort Square and sections of about 40m being constructed at any one time. This will be complete by early September and work on the right hand side will be complete by mid-November.

Around four community leaflets will be distributed by Monmouthshire council informing the local community of the programme of work. There are also plans to install a notice board to the front of Barclays Bank with regular updates on the development.

Chepstow county councillor Pam Birchall said: "Work to tackle the town's problems is long overdue. I believe the scheme will help to meet the needs of Chepstow's residents and visitors."