Following last month's local election in the newly-elected leaders of the Gwent's local authorities have penned open letters to their constituents.

Peter Fox

Leader of Monmouthshire County Council

Conservatives in Monmouthshire have a plan to deliver a county that works for everyone, a plan that secures social justice and believes in people; a plan that will maintain services, drive improvements, but is also sensitive to the diverse needs of all parts of our communities.

We will continue to prioritise those services which have the greatest impact on the wellbeing of our residents - namely education, care of the vulnerable, the retention of local services and economic development encouraging new jobs and apprenticeships.

We are committed to supporting those affected by the cycle of poverty, including those in rural communities and we will do more to tackle rural isolation. We want every child to have the best start in life and will support families in breaking the cycle of worklessness.

We have invested in new school buildings across the county with two new secondary schools almost completed and have plans to invest even more in young people’s education.

We will continue to empower communities which work to support older people to remain independent, living in their own homes as long as possible. We will avoid delayed transfers of care from hospital by retaining a successful partnership with the NHS to provide integrated solutions for our residents. We will also retain a dementia-friendly and patient-led approach to providing care, which has been recognised nationally for transforming the lives of those who suffer with this cruel disease.

We will continue to unlock the economic potential of our county and the wider Cardiff Capital Region by playing a leading role in delivering the £1.2 billion City Deal. We will support and defend local businesses and encourage entrepreneurship as a means of creating new jobs and making our communities more prosperous.

The next few years will remain tough as public expectation and need grows while resources shrink. This will require the council to be progressive, efficient and innovative, delivering services in new ways while always focusing on our key priorities.