Traffic chaos cost seats (From Free Press Series)

Traffic chaos cost seats

TWO Chepstow councillors who lost their seats last week said the ill-fated one-way system played a part in their election defeat.

Cliff Meredith and Gwyn Eburn, both former members of the Chepstow regeneration working group, lost their seats on Monmouth-shire county council.

And Conservative Mr Meredith, who lost his Larkfield seat to Liberal Democrat Phil Hobson, blamed his involvement in the scheme for damaging his reputation and said given his time again he would never be chairman.

He said: "I think the one-way system affected me more than Gwyn because I was chairman. Now that I know that has damaged me, I probably would not have been chairman had I known the consequences, but someone had to do it.

"They might find it hard now to fill the position; it would have to be someone strong - especially now.

"Looking back on the situation, I don't think the system would have ever worked because we were given the wrong expert advice."

Ms Eburn said a combination of factors led to her downfall, which included being targeted by the Liberal Democratic party for the past two years. (Lib Dem Matthew Jones took her St Mary's ward seat).

She said: "We were both targeted very heavily by the Liberals for the last two years, and the regeneration scheme was just another factor.

"We raised the issue of the one-way scheme over and over again and we were reassured it would work. We both feel very let down.

"The fact they have started work and the town looks a mess has made things worse. The timing of bringing the scheme out so close to the elections was a disaster."