Gatehouse repairs could cost £90k (From Free Press Series)

Gatehouse repairs could cost £90k

The repair bill for a landmark Chepstow building could reach more than £90,000.

The four-centuries-old Gatehouse needs £20,000 to bring the roof up to scratch and planned maintenance over the next five years is estimated to be between £60,000 and £70,000.

There is no grant available to the building's owners, Monmouthshire county council, for that work from Welsh historic monuments body Cadw. Further work is also necessary to bring the building into line with the Disability Discrimination Act.

The Gatehouse is the base for Chepstow town council which has its council chamber and offices on the first floor, the Citizens' Advice Bureau on the ground floor and the probation service on the third floor.

Town councillors have made it clear that they want to remain in the building and will fight hard to stay - despite hints from the county council that they may want to consider alternative accommodation.

The Gatehouse was built in 1609 and has been connected with local government in Chepstow for more than 100 years.

It was the headquarters of Chepstow urban district council from 1894 until it was disbanded in 1974 and of Chepstow town council since then.

The town council has a lease on the building until 2028 and councillors say that given the amount of money it will cost to repair, it should belong to the town, not the county council.

Town mayor Mrs Yvonne Havard said: "We should reclaim this building for the people of the town. We cannot allow it to become empty."

Mr Henry Hodges said: "If we tamely give in and move out, people will not thank us even if they are frightened by the sums of money involved.

"This building has been a symbol of local government in Chepstow since the 1890s and it should remain so."