Agenda and draft minutes

None.

Two members of the public spoke on the matter of the petition. They suggested the implementation of a visible crossing, in black or white, to ensure it is noticeable from both the pavement and the road. They highlighted issues with the current crossing near the Caldicot building, including cars not stopping and the bus stop creating a blind spot, and mentioned that the grey zebra crossing is not well distinguished, especially for out-of-towners, and that the road appears to be at the same level as the pavement, leading to confusion. They suggested the need for a brighter zebra crossing and double yellow lines to improve safety.

Councillor Jackie Strong introduced the petition, highlighting the safety concerns of the Zebra crossing on Sandy Lane, emphasising the poor visibility of the crossing and the disregard for the no-parking zone. She noted that the damaged beacon has been repaired and described the issues with vehicles parking in non-parking areas and the need for better enforcement. She suggested that the design of the crossing could potentially cause accidents and called for urgent action to address these issues. She proposed that the council should review and publish the results of any safety reviews and carry out an urgent review of the crossing, and report back to the scrutiny committee with more information.

Cabinet Member Sara Burch acknowledged the concerns raised and apologised for the delay in addressing them, noting that the issues have been raised over time. She mentioned that a review of the original road safety audits from 2020 and 2023 is underway, with a plan to update the audit and consider technical feasibility of suggested changes, and informed that a group of officers walked the route to observe the issues firsthand. A task and finish group has been convened to address the suggestions made by residents and councillors. She is committed to bringing back a detailed action plan and implementing necessary safety measures as a matter of urgency, and emphasised the importance of involving residents in the design of future schemes to ensure their needs are met.

The committee’s decision was to refer to the Cabinet Member to respond on progress – ACTION

Cabinet Member Ben Callard introduced the report, delivered the presentation, and answered the members’ questions with Deb Hill-Howells, Jonathan Davies and Cabinet Member Sara Burch.

• Considering the council is implementing service savings, could some be put towards keeping Together Works in Caldicot open? The Cabinet Member acknowledged the value of Together Works and its funding through the Shared Prosperity Fund, which is outside the council's direct control. He explained that despite the service savings, the council still faces a budget gap of £3 million, making it difficult to allocate additional funds to Together Works. The council is, however, exploring grant funding options to support Together Works.

• The proposals regarding Old Tintern Station are very disappointing – many residents will be concerned about the prospect of it being sold. The Cabinet Member clarified that there is no current proposal to close Old Tintern Station. He emphasised the intention to explore different stewardship options, including the possibility of the site being more successful under private sector management. He stressed the importance of balancing the roles of the local authority and the private sector in operating tourist attractions in Monmouthshire.

• The Solar Farm’s £50k losses are a concern. Can the grid outage be explained? The Cabinet Member explained that grid outages occur when the National Grid has a glut of energy and needs to balance inputs and outputs to maintain frequency. This can result in the solar farm being turned off, leading to losses.

• What is the proportion of roads categorised as black and red? How many are considered for maintenance? Is there the same category for pavements? Funding for the resurfacing of the Wye Bridge is allocated, and the date for the work will be confirmed soon. – ACTION – to provide details of black and red roads

• Are any funds allocated for the repair of the Wye Bridge and Staunton Road? No funding is allocated for Staunton Road in this year's or next year's budget; it relies on a resilient roads bid to Welsh Government, with the outcome expected by the end of March. 

• Is any of the public right of way investment allocated to the collapsed part of the Wye Valley Walk in Wyesham or the improvement of the section in Redbrook? If not, what areas are planned to be targeted with that funding? The situation regarding the public right of way is complex, involving land ownership and responsibility issues. A written response with more detailed information will be provided – ACTION

• What are the reasoning and timeline for the car parking review? The car parking review will take a broad look at car parking in the county, including payment systems. The money raised from car parking is ring-fenced for highways, but the income does not cover the total maintenance costs.

• Can you confirm that £110k savings will not necessitate closure or reduction of any libraries? Will we receive a review of any knock-on effects of reduced opening hours on other services? The Cabinet member clarified that there are  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

Officers reminded members to provide questions for NRW regarding the Nedern, ahead of the next meeting. A Special meeting on 5^th June to scrutinise the Replacement Local Development Plan was agreed – ACTION

Members requested an item to look at the rates charged for markets and stallholders, and at markets more generally – ACTION. Councillor Brown reiterated the intention to scrutinise the Shire Hall Lottery bid.

The minutes were confirmed.

Thursday 27^th March 2025 at 2.00pm.