Member of the Senedd for Monmouth, Peter Fox, has welcomed the decision to remove an “eyesore” fence above the village of Clydach.
The fence, dubbed the ‘Great Wall of Clydach’ was erected last month along Pwll Du Road, spanning some 200m. Following a large backlash from residents, Monmouth MS Peter Fox raised concerns with the local authority, and joined a well attended public meeting in the village.
During the meeting, a number of concerns were voiced by residents, and some potential solutions were put forward. Monmouthshire County Council has now agreed to replace it, and will use stock fencing instead, whilst also reducing the height, and painting it to be more in keeping with the surrounding countryside.
Local MS for Monmouth, Peter Fox, has said:
“This fence has been a huge topic of conversation for local residents and has certainly gained some national attention. I think everyone agreed the intentions behind the fence were correct, but the execution was somewhat wrong.
“The recent meeting in the village of Clydach was well attended, and I am grateful to the officers of Monmouthshire County Council for attending. They stood there for a number of hours, held their hands up to getting it wrong, responded to concerns, and began to look for a solution.
“I was disappointed at the meeting by the Labour Leader of the Council, Mary Ann Brocklesby, for not standing up herself to take even some of the criticism and feedback from residents. As a past Leader myself, that is your job.
“I am pleased to see the community have been listened to, which will go a long way in restoring the relationship between residents and the local authority.
“I hope the solution will be forthcoming quickly, and we can all move forward from this unfortunate episode.”
(Pic credits: Twm Owen/South Wales Argus)
