CONTROVERSIAL charges for A-boards outside Monmouthshire businesses have been scrapped by the council.

Monmouthshire County Council (MCC)’s Cabinet met last week to discuss the charges, which had proposed a one-off charge for A-boards and a separate charge for other street furniture such as tables and chairs and outdoor displays.

Based on a 70 per cent take-up, the charges for A-boards could have raised £10,080 for the council.

The change was part of plans to control street furniture to reduce dangers to visually impaired people, after a group representing the blind and visually impaired hit out at the problems encountered while walking up the town’s main shopping streets.

The one-off £50 charge for A-boards was removed, but traders with larger outside displays will still have to pay a one-off license fee plus an annual fee, albeit at half the originally-proposed rate.

Charges for A-boards were introduced in 2016, but were suspended last February after backlash from traders who were also facing massive increases in their business rates.

The issue surrounding A-boards and street furniture was seen as another blow after businesses in Monmouthshire were hit by prospective increases in their business rates following changes in the way the Valuation Office Authority works out rateable values.

After widespread frustration, including a ‘sit out’ in Monmouth, MCC appeared to relax their position on the charges, insisting that the financial benefit of the charges to the council was “not material”.

In the meeting last Wednesday (10th January) deputy leader of MCC Councillor Bob Greenland explained the process behind the charges.

“It was felt at the time that we should try to recoup some of the costs for licenses,” he said.

“A-boards need to be controlled, but I believe that actually we should be doing that without the charge of £50 as is suggested,” he said.

“I also take on views of traders, who are going through a tough period. Some are facing large increases in term of business rates, and this is therefore not a good time to be burdening them with more costs. However I also take into account that MCC itself is in a difficult financial position and simply cannot afford to take this on for nothing.”

Cllr Greenland proposed that the charges for A-boards be scrapped, and that the charges for street furniture be introduced but at 50 per cent of the proposed amount. He also suggested that the policy be looked at again in 12 months to “see how it is running”.

This amendment was supported by MCC leader Cllr Peter Fox, Cllr Richard John and Cllr Sara Jones.

“The vitality of our high streets is one of the great appeals of our county and I think theres a significant challenge for many of those small businesses,” Cllr John said.

“Many of them [traders] are struggling to make ends meet, partly due to the significant rise to business rates they’ve had in the last 12 months, so I think this is absolutely the right decision.”

A one-off charge of £125, with an annual charge of £120 for businesses with an outside area of 0 to six square metres, £240 for six to 12sqm and £360 for 12 to 18sqm. All these charges, including the one-off charge, will be halved.

All businesses in Monmouthshire will still be required to acquire a permits to use A-boards or street furniture.