A COUNCIL vote is to be held into whether to reopen Chepstow high street to traffic after more than two years of closure.

Chepstow high street has been closed to traffic since June 2020, when Monmouthshire County Council (MCC) deemed it necessary to enable social distancing and support outdoor trading during the Covid-19 pandemic.

MCC consulted the people of Chepstow in spring this year about whether the road should be re-opened to traffic.

A clear majority expressed their preference for the high street to be re-opened to traffic - some even claiming that the continued closure was "killing the town".

Next week, on Wednesday, July 27, the council’s cabinet will vote on the recommendation to support the view of the clear majority who responded to the consultation.

The consultation last spring allowed Chepstow residents to give a view about whether the road should be re-opened or remain closed to traffic in various ways.

The results of the consultation have been considered by all of Chepstow’s county councillors and by town and they all agreed that the majority view of residents should be respected.

Cllr Paul Griffiths, cabinet member for economy and sustainable livelihoods, said: “In Monmouthshire we listen to the views of citizens.

"People of Chepstow have had the experience of the high street being closed to traffic and have shared their view that it should be re-opened, so this is what I will be recommending to the cabinet.

“I will now work hard with the people of Chepstow and the businesses on the high street to create a town centre which is even more lively and attractive.

"We are all ambitious for the future of Chepstow and we must continue to shape a town which balances the needs of pedestrians, vehicle users, traders, visitors and residents.

"This is the beginning of a journey and I want to work with businesses, residents and all other councillors to bring forward creative ideas for making the town ever more successful."