Monmouthshire County Council will hold a special meeting of its Strong Communities Select Committee at 10am on Monday 30th July in the council chamber at County Hall to discuss the authority’s proposed advertising boards and street furniture policy.
The Strong Communities Select Committee has recognised the significant interest shared by local businesses, traders, disability groups and residents in recent weeks and welcomes all interested parties to attend the meeting. This will provide an opportunity for the public to offer their perspectives and for members to fully debate the issue, prior to the Select Committee making recommendations on the policy options.
The meeting will consist of a presentation from Monmouthshire’s Head of Operations Roger Hoggins followed by a thirty minute open forum to enable the public, businesses and groups to present their views. To avoid repetition, the council recommends that groups nominate a spokesperson to speak on their behalf.
A formal agenda will be available five working days before the 30th July meeting and can be located on the council’s website under the meetings calendar. The meeting will be live-streamed for those who wish to view it remotely. Anyone who wishes to distribute documents or written material to the committee should submit them to Monmouthshire’s democratic services team by 6pm on Monday, 23rd July email:
registertospeak@monmouthshire.gov.uk
The Strong Communities Select Committee Chair, Councillor Jane Pratt has called for the meeting, saying: “We are aware of the importance of this issue and the need to debate this fully and as soon as possible. Consequently, the Select Committee is prioritising this by calling a special meeting to enable the committee to fully understand the implications of the policy on businesses and residents in making its recommendation”.
Councillor Bryan Jones, Monmouthshire’s cabinet member for Operations said: “Our towns are beautiful and vibrant places, attracting many visitors from all over the world. I love the ‘café’ culture I see in our towns and do not want to hinder this. I encourage people to come along or watch the meeting to gain information on how we can help businesses continue to thrive”.
In addition, two public meetings have taken place on Friday 13th July at Monmouth’s Shire Hall and Monday 16th July at Abergavenny Town Hall to enable businesses and residents to share their thoughts.
