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South Wales Argus
2 days ago
- Business
- South Wales Argus
Bridges Centre Monmouth rent dispute with county council
Though the charity currently pays just £1 a year on the grade II-listed 17th century mansion, where it provides a base for a wide range of community and volunteer activities, the charge is due to increase to £97,000 a year. However while a proposed discount, that will reduce that to £9,700 in the first year of a the new lease and rise to £14,550 a year in the two following years, has been offered the Bridges charity says it has no certainty that will continue and a regular cycle of three year rent reviews, means it fears it could be liable for the full £97,000 annual rent and possibly even more. As a result the charity that describes itself as supporting 'the youth, elderly, isolated, and vulnerable residents of our community' from its Drybridge House base in Monmouth, has launched a petition calling for a 'fair and sustainable rent' that has already had more than 1,200 signatures. The petition can be found here. Monmouthshire County Council, which owns the mansion also known as the Bridges Centre, has issued two statements on the lease negotiations and said it is committed to supporting the charity and accused its trustees of 'introducing unnecessary uncertainty'. The leader of the council's Conservative opposition group, Councillor Richard John, has accused the council of 'megaphone diplomacy'. Ben Ford, the events and marketing manager, said its trustees who attended a meeting with the council 'have no recollection' of the council committing to continue to offer the discount for as long as Drybridge House is being used to support the local community. Mr Ford said: 'At the three year mark the council will subject us to a review and could insist on the full £97,000, or more, being paid. It is that uncertainty which has seen the trustees reluctance to sign the new lease. There is no guarantee we will obtain a similar rent rebate.' As well as providing a base for various community groups Drybridge House is used as a wedding venue, for events and lets out rooms to local businesses with the commercial income used to maintain the historic building with the charity liable for maintenance costs under its existing and the proposed lease. It estimates it spends around £50,000 a year on maintenance. The charity has operated since 1984 and raised £1.6 million from supporters to restore Drybridge House in 2023. Its trustees have said they have welcomed the council's statement the discounted rent will be maintained but said there is no certainty around that. Monmouthshire County Council said: 'The rental support grant the council awards to charitable tenants has to be reviewed every three years but as long as Drybridge House is being used to support the local community, that grant will continue. The live online petition does not acknowledge the commitment the council has made to trustees. A commitment to which the council will hold fast. 'By delaying the signing of the new lease, the trustees, in the council's view, are introducing unnecessary uncertainty into the ongoing success of Bridges. We urge them to accept the beneficial terms being offered.' Cllr John, who represents the nearby Mitchell Troy and Trellech ward, has hit out at the Labour-led council and said: 'I'm disappointed that the council is continuing to use megaphone diplomacy and threatening the trustees of Bridges publicly rather than getting round the table and negotiating a new lease which works for users of Bridges and taxpayers.'
South Wales Argus
4 days ago
- Business
- South Wales Argus
Monmouthshire councillor wants to host part of Tour de France
Cllr Richard John, Conservative leader in Monmouthshire, has written to the director of the Tour de France to request that the iconic 2027 Grand Départ route includes a section through Monmouthshire. In March, it was confirmed that the 2027 Tour will feature stages in Scotland, Wales, and England, with the Welsh leg expected to finish in Cardiff. However, the full route has not yet been finalised. Cllr John said: "It was great to learn that Wales will host part of the Tour de France in 2027, but we would love to see a route that illustrates Wales' diverse landscape. "We know the route will end in Cardiff city centre, but it would also be great to showcase the green rolling hills of the Wye Valley, the rugged mountains of the Bannau Brycheiniog National Park as well as communities in the South Wales Valleys. "Monmouthshire is already a popular destination for cyclists and part-hosting an iconic event like the Tour de France would greatly benefit our tourism industry. "The benefits for our hospitality businesses and small self-catering operators would be considerable, so the council should be pitching to play a part." Cllr John wrote to Tour de France director Christian Prudhomme in French, describing Monmouthshire as "un comté aux collines verdoyantes et aux paysages pittoresques"—a county of green rolling hills and picturesque scenery—and inviting organisers to engage with the council during route planning. The Tour de France is known to generate significant economic benefits for host regions through increased tourism and international exposure. Visit Wales has described the event as a major opportunity to promote the country as a cycling destination. A spokesman for Visit Wales said: "Wales is proud to be welcoming the third stage of the prestigious Tour de France in 2027 finishing in Cardiff. "This iconic race, known for its gruelling routes and breathtaking scenery, will showcase Wales' stunning landscapes to a global audience. "Whether catering to seasoned professionals or casual riders, Wales offers an unparalleled cycling experience."
Wales Online
04-07-2025
- Politics
- Wales Online
Council spends nearly £70,000 on 'hideous' steel fence
Council spends nearly £70,000 on 'hideous' steel fence The 'Great Wall of Clydach' was only installed two months ago but the council must already undertake remedial work following local complaints Cllr Richard John, far left, with Cllr Fay Bromfield, local farmer Wayne Elliot, and Cllr Simon Howarth standing beside the steel fence dubbed the 'Great Wall of Clydach' (Image: Local Democracy Reporting Service ) A Welsh council spent £66,000 on a steel fence which now needs significant remedial work after locals complained about it. Monmouthshire County Council forked out the huge cost for the steel fence dubbed the "Great Wall of Clydach" in the village in the north of the county in April. It stretches more than 200m across Gilwern mountain within Bannau Brycheiniog and has been described by a councillor as "hideous". The local authority has said the fence, which is 2.1m in height, was essential to prevent access to the Pwll Du road on the mountain due to concerns it might give way into the quarry beneath following the illegal removal of previous barriers such as bollards and gates. The fence's abrupt installation, which bypassed public consultation, led to community uproar prompting the council in May to agree to lower its height and repaint it which will cost another £20,000. During the latest council meeting on the issue councillor Richard John, leader of the Conservative opposition group, inquired about the total expenditure on the fencing above Clydach. Cllr Catrin Maby, Labour cabinet member for the environment, responded that the overall cost would hit around £66,000 by the end of the year, including £42,000 for the initial setup and an extra £22,000 to render it "more visually acceptable". Article continues below She informed councillors there had been sightings of individuals on the road oblivious to the potential danger of collapse which necessitated swift action by the council. She also said "part of the cost is the cost of vandalism unfortunately". "Please remember saving lives is our priority when assessing the cost of this road," she added. Cllr John, representing Mitchell Troy and Trellech, said: "Lives are important but clearly there was wastage here." He asked what measures would be implemented "so we do not see this huge scale of money wasted again", adding that "£66,000 has been spent on that fence this year". He expressed a "real sense of a significant amount of money wasted here" and said after he'd inspected the fence alongside two other councillors: "It's absolutely hideous. It is 7ft high and has huge metal spikes." He requested the cabinet member to "quantify how much has been spent unnecessarily". Cllr Maby said: "Had no vandalism occurred the cost would have been £2,000. Article continues below "I put the question back to you –how much do you think saving a life is worth if you think that's an over-expenditure?"
South Wales Argus
03-07-2025
- Politics
- South Wales Argus
Great Wall of Clydach steel fence cost confirmed at £66,000
Dubbed the 'Great Wall of Clydach' the galvanised steel fence was put across some 200 metres of Gilwern mountain in the Bannau Brychieniog National Park in April. Monmouthshire County Council said the 2.1m high, or six foot tall, fence was required to block access to Pwll Du road running across the mountain due to fears it could collapse into the quarry below and installed after previous measures including bollards and gates were unlawfully removed. The sudden appearance of the fence, without consultation, sparked a public backlash and in May the council agreed it would reduce the heigh of the fence and paint it a darker colour, at a cost of around £20,000. Councillor Richard John, the Conservative's opposition group leader, asked at the authority's most recent meeting how much it will have spent on fencing above Clydach by the end of this year. Cllr Catrin Maby, the council's Labour cabinet member responsible for the environment, said the total cost will be around £66,000 including £42,000 to install and a further £22,000 to make it 'more visually acceptable'. She told him people had been seen on the road unaware it could collapse at any moment which had prompted the council to act and said 'part of the cost is the cost of vandalism unfortunately.' The Drybridge councillor said: 'Please remember saving lives is our priority when assessing the cost of this road.' Cllr John, who represents Mitchell Troy and Trellech, said he recognised 'lives are important but clearly there was wastage here' and asked what steps would be taken to 'so we do not see this huge scale of money wasted again' adding: '£66,000 has been spent on that fence this year'. He said there is a 'real sense of a significant amount of money wasted here' and said he'd seen the fence for himself with two other councilors: 'It's absolutely hideous, it is seven foot high and has huge metal spikes.' He asked the cabinet member to 'quantify how much has been spent unnecessarily?'. Cllr Maby replied: 'Had no vandalism occurred the cost would have been £2,000. I put the question back to you, how much do you think saving a life is worth? If you think that's an over expenditure?'
South Wales Argus
25-05-2025
- Business
- South Wales Argus
Marches Partnership priorities agreed by Monmouthshire
Monmouthshire and Powys agreed to form a voluntary partnership with English neighbours Herefordshire and Shropshire in September 2023. The Marches Forward Partnership is intended to help the border counties contribute to economic growth and recognise issues they have in common and that cross the different boundaries everyday. Monmouthshire County Council's cabinet has now backed the agreed vision and collective ambition for the Marches Forward Partnership. The Marches Proposition document sets out three immediate priorities which are support for food production, a Marches Environmental Investment and Innovation Platform which will address challenges such as water quality and flood risk and to attract private investment while a health group will consider pilot projects to make early interventions on health inequalities and the transport group will look to improve cross-border transport. The councils hope their work can help it attract £1.5m in funding from the UK and Welsh governments. The four councils have contributed around £100,000 each with Monmouthshire's contribution to date just over £95,000 which it took from its allocation from the UK Government Shared Prosperity Fund. Its contribution in the current financial year will be between £54,000 and £61,553 which will come from its own capital budgets. Conservative opposition leader Councillor Richard John described the council's contribution as 'funded by the UK Government' and asked what confidence it had the partnership has the support of the UK Government which has recently withdrawn funding for other 'pan-regional' development projects including the Western Gateway Partnership. Deputy leader, Labour's Paul Griffiths, said the Marches Partnership is in a 'different position' to the Western Gateway, which was directly funded by Westminster to work across South Wales and the West of England, but said deputy prime minister Angela Rayner's department has asked to be part of some of its working groups. 'It is an expression of genuine interest and a desire to be an active partner,' said Cllr Griffiths. Cabinet member Sara Burch said she thought the partnership is a 'real opportunity' for the food economy and tourism. Monmouthshire's cabinet also agreed to a partnership board, from the member councils intended as a 'light touch governance arrangement' and to an evaluation of the partnership's progress after 12 months.
