The lack of interest in the local elections in May 2022 had one benefit for the residents of Skenfrith.

Following the mass exodus of community councillors after the unpopular boundary revision, the new Skenfrith Community Council was unable to attract enough councillors to be quorate for over 12 months.

This means that the council did not have enough members to legally meet and make decisions, one of those being to set a budget for the forthcoming year.

The consequence for this is that Skenfrith now has the lowest Band D bills in the county, an effect popular with residents who will have to pay only £1,889.18. Their neighbouring council of Whitecastle will be paying £1,902.

These two councils replaced the Llangattock-vibon-avel Community Council which was scrapped along with its neighbour Llantilio Crossenny.

Llangattock saw all nine councillors stand down as a result of the changed boundaries and it took until January 2023 to get enough interest to make Skenfrith a legally functioning council.

A homeowner in Skenfrith told the Beacon that he was “not complaining” that his council tax was the lowest in the county.

“It’s bad enough with the increased cost in energy bills and the rise in the council tax, the highest for many years, is another blow to personal finances.

I wouldn’t mind paying the council tax but we see our council services pared to the bone and the roads and drains are the worst I’ve seen them.”

The county council has increased its element of the charge by 5.95 per cent as part of the budget it agreed last week and that works out at an £87.87 annual increase on last year’s bill for a band D house.

The Gwent Police charge for a band D property is £324.52.