CAERWENT COMMUNITY COUNCIL

It’s the start of a new Council Term and the present members who have been elected, without a ballot due to their only being one nomination per seat, will now serve for a period of four years.  There seems, however, to have been some “confusion” in Crick regarding the opportunity to fill the seat being vacated by the member who has served over the last four years who did not wish to stand again.  It is the responsibility of Monmouthshire County Council to advertise all elections, and this they did.  It is very much regretted if residents of Crick felt that they had missed an opportunity. 

In Caerwent the Merton Green planning application is still in difficulty.  For those who are not aware, planning permission already exists for this site however; detailed permission (or reserve matters) has not yet been granted. Over the last few months various discussions have taken place at Planning Committee and between Planners and the developer, Barratts aimed at trying to ensure that the perceived shortfalls in design and parking provision, the materials used in sensitive parts of the site, the adequacy of sewage provision together with Highways issues etc are adequately dealt with.  Many amendments and concessions have been achieved but we still, at the time of writing do not have fully amended plans to review nor is the issue of some of the rights of existing residents satisfactorily dealt with.  We will continue to press for improvements and for the perceived problems to be resolved.

Concerns have been raised over the Section 106 monies (a fund to be used for the benefit of the Community) rising out of the Merton Green development.  This money has to be spent within 5 miles of the site and, as mentioned many times in the Newsletter, we hope to use this money to secure the Old Gym for the Youth Club and its other users, together with work on the Village Hall and other amenity schemes all of which will be developed over the coming months.

Residents may be aware that the re-cycling of plastics has been trialled in Portskewett.  This has been a success and therefore the scheme is being extended.  Please make every effort to join in.  The food waste scheme is also working well so thank you to all who participated in that.

Despite so many assurances that the Mod Westgate entrance would be operational by now there still seems to be a hold up, this time over suitable accommodation for gate staff.  We are pressing for this to be resolved without further delay.  

Phil Murphy

Chairman

Mrs L McKeon, Clerk to the Council, Caerwent Community Council,

Mayfield, Pill Row, Caldicot, Monmouthshire, NP26 5JD.   Tel:  01291 424802