MADAM,

Access to Wonastow from Monmouth has already been restricted, hijacked as it has been by the developers bent on covering even more of our flood plains and water meadows with concrete and asphalt. Let’s hope their flood prevention scheme is adequate or Mr Clarke’s  historic lakes may become a modern day reality.

One benefit of this new road layout hopefully may be to deter errant articulated lorry drivers from venturing up the Wonastow Road with the ensuing damage caused either to the Trothy Bridge at Jingle Street or my gateposts.

The problem with the volume of traffic using the roads of Wonastow is not that of those who legitimately access homes, farms and businesses (regardless of the size of their tractors) or those who enjoy driving the historic link of parishes and villages from Monmouth to Abergavenny. The problem is the commuters who use Wonastow as a rat run to avoid the traffic carnage on the A40 at Monmouth.

No amount of access only signs will stop them.

When the link to the Heads of the Valleys is completed and work eventually starts on the Newport M4 bypass the problem will only go from bad to worse.

The half-baked notion that a left turn only lane southbound over the Wye will solve the congestion on the A40 is nothing more than a bad joke.

Until there is a bypass or an overpass or an underpass to carry the ever increasing volume  of traffic on the A40 at Monmouth the towns traffic woes and Wonastow’s can only get worse.

Charles Davies

(Wonastow)