Caldicot is one of the jewels in the Monmouthshire crown and with a population of 10,000 it is the county’s fourth largest.

I always enjoy meeting Caldicot people. They are never short of a word or two and tell me straight about the needs of the area. They have excellent local councillors – Jill Bond, Tony Easson, Rachel Garrick, Maria Stevens and Jackie Strong – who are bursting with practical ideas about the future of their patch.

The area has a rich history: the Romans sailed up the River Neddern (now known as Nedern Brook) to develop the market town of Venta Silurum.

And within a decade of their conquest, the Normans occupied Caldicot, later creating their landmark castle.

The 19th century brought the railways and tinplate and the following century Llanwern steelworks shaped the town.

Our aim is to ensure it has a thriving and sustainable future, shaped by its citizens. The council I lead will always support the local people.

Last week in Council I proposed that we spend £600,000 on the refurbishment and extension of Castle Park Primary School. Conservative councillors voted against that very necessary investment but it is going ahead.

We are developing a revised Local Development Plan in the area which will bring local housing for local people. A third of the homes will be for rent by Registered Social Housing.

At least half of the homes will be affordable to local people.

All will be built to high environmental standards, with solar panels and heat pumps so they will use no more energy than they produce. And we will build walking routes so that all residents can go on foot to town, to school and elsewhere.

We will need funding to deliver on this ambition and the Welsh Government is stepping up to the mark. It has already largely funded the new secondary school. And from next month we will be distributing funding from Welsh Government to those businesses in the High Street who have plans to improve their shop fronts.

Twice in recent years the county council has submitted plans to the UK government to upgrade the leisure centre and the shopping centre. We aim to bring the visitors back to Caldicot.

On both occasions the government has turned down our plans and diverted the money to far more affluent parts of the United Kingdom.

The MP for Monmouth, David TC Davies, is the Secretary of State for Wales in Sunak’s cabinet.

He delights in telling me how to do my job.

Now I am asking him to do his job and allocate funds to Caldicot so that we can implement our plans and fulfil the ambitions of the people of Caldicot.