DOZENS of angry residents and business owners confronted county council representatives at an emergency meeting last week to discuss the council’s contentious ‘street furniture’ policy.

More than 50 people crammed into a small room in Monmouth’s Shire Hall for the meeting, where they demanded to know why the council had suddenly decided to require permits for each table, chair, sign or other display placed outside shops and businesses across Monmouthshire.

Central to the argument was the case of Church Street, where some businesses have displayed street furniture for decades, only to be told they will now need to pay for a permit, working out at roughly £10 for each square metre of pavement occupied.

Speaking at the meeting, the council’s head of operations, Roger Hoggins said the policy would improve health and safety.

“We have a responsibility to maintain a safe route for pedestrians on the public highway”, Mr Hoggins said.

Several attendees contested this, with one asking, to loud applause, how “this ceased to be a health and safety concern once people pay”.

Many attendees felt the council was putting unnecessary pressure on traders already struggling to keep up with increasing business rates.

Several people raised this point before Cllr Matt Feakins stepped in to remind everyone the county council was not responsible for setting business rates, only collecting them.

One man replied to the councillor by saying the street furniture charge was “rubbing salt in the wound”.

Dorothy Bligh, who is blind, said: “There’s no problem in Church Street. I know where things are. I get huge pleasure from hearing people outside coffee shops and smelling the food outside Phil’s [a greengrocer’s shop]”.

Business owner David Tovey said the policy would cause people to “lose confidence” in councillors, who should “do something to rectify other problems before going after businesses”.

Mr Hoggins said he would compile a report of the meeting for the council’s ‘Stronger Communities’ committee, who will hold a special meeting on Monday, July 30, 10am, comprising a presentation by Mr Hoggins and a 30-minute open forum for the public.

The meeting will be livestreamed and an agenda will be available five working days in advance on the council’s website. Anyone wishing to distribute documents to the committee must do so by 6pm on July 23 by emailing registertospeak@monmouthshire.gov.uk