January 2020
• Flood impact mitigation.
• Support for Welsh Water personnel working on getting supply back to homes and businesses.
• Direct contact with Peter Perry, MD of Welsh Water.
• Funding and installation of banners thanking the organisations that helped
the town in its hour of need.
March 2019
• Outbreak of Covid-19 and enforced lockdowns.
A business resilience forum was formed with representatives of MCC, Welsh Government, county town business leaders and FSB, with fortnightly meetings.
• Direct communication with decision-takers and lobbying for businesses that asked for our support. Circa 30 businesses helped directly.
• Chamber members were and still are the first to hear any news by regular emails.
Over the following 9 months
• Contact with over 100 businesses to ensure they were aware of early grants
available through MCC.
• Updates on regulations and relevant issues.
• Close communication with and regular contributions to The Beacon.
• Correspondence with Welsh Assembly protesting the ‘one-size fits all’ mentality coming down from central government.
One-way system
The Chamber kept regular contact with Officers at MCC to report concerns
over the radical new traffic regime, and in particular, the problems caused by the oneway system.
Monmouth Chamber made strong representation, contacted decision makers
on a regular basis and fought extremely hard behind the scenes to get this overturned.
The Chamber wrote to businesses and essential services, to find out how they were being affected; requested views on social media; wrote letters to the
Press, and communicated problems arising for businesses and members of
the public. A summary was supplied to Councillor Mat Feakins in his office as Mayor, and we are grateful for his tremendous support in petitioning both Town and County Councils on our behalf.
We are lobbying for clearer road markings on the parking areas created in Monnow Street, and have relayed negative and positive feedback on the parklets, wider pavements and flower boxes that have been installed.
The covid pandemic has allowed the Chamber to prove its value to businesses.
We have strengthened our relationships with both Monmouth Town and County Councils, and we truly have given a voice to the businesses
of Monmouth.