THE deputy leader of Monmouthshire County Council has announced the authority's decision to repeal a controversial policy on street furniture outside the county's shops and cafes.

Under that policy, the council would have charged business owners the equivalent of £10 for each square metre of space taken up on the pavement.

The council cited health and safety reasons for the change, prompting disbelief from members of the public who couldn't understand how a piece of furniture automatically became safer if its owner paid the council a charge.

The furious response to the policy was revealed at a heated public meeting at Monmouth's Shire Hall on July 13.

Many of those in attendance said the policy amounted to further taxation on small businesses and rubbed "salt in the wound" for many who were already struggling to keep up with increasing business rates.

The council's head of operations, Roger Hoggins, said he would gather feedback from that meeting and compile a report for the council's 'Stronger Communities' committee, and a special meeting of that committee was due to go ahead next week (July 30).

At a full council meeting scheduled for Thursday, July 27, Cllr Tony Easson (Labour, Dewstow), intended to table a motion calling for the "iniquitous street scene levy" to be dropped.

Now, the deputy leader, Bob Greenland (Conservative, Devauden), has decided to announce the policy would be axed before those meetings have taken place.

In a statement, Cllr Greenland suggested the council's position on supporting businesses was at odds with the Welsh government's business rates increases.

Here is Monmouthshire County Council's statement, released by Cllr Greenland, in full, with comments from Cllr Greenland and his colleague, Bryan Jones (Conservative, Goytre Fawr):

"Following representations made by Conservative councillors representing the towns in the County, members of MCC’s cabinet are minded to reverse the proposed charges for placing display materials, and other street furniture outside their premises in town centres.

"Whilst the charges were only intended to cover the costs of managing the policy, the Cabinet members accepted the view of their colleagues that in these very difficult times for our town centres, even these modest charges might be the straw that broke the camel’s back.

"We will consider the issue again at the next available cabinet meeting along with any comments that may come from councillor members of our scrutiny committees.

"Cllr Bryan Jones, cabinet member responsible for highways commented: 'We want to encourage vibrant town centres and traders using the space outside their premises helps to do that, but we also have to take heed of the views of groups representing those with physical disabilities that in some instances these objects on the pavements can be a danger. So the policy giving the Council control over street furniture will go ahead but we will ask officers to find other ways to meet the costs.'

"Cllr Bob Greenland with responsibility for enterprise added: 'As we know from the news, town centre retailers throughout the UK are struggling. For those in Monmouthshire their position has been made much worse because of a recent revaluation of business rateable values imposed by the Labour government in Wales. It seems extraordinary but it is true that Cardiff has seen an overall reduction in rates whilst Monmouthshire has seen increases, some astronomic. We asked that these revaluations should be dropped, but this fell on deaf ears. We continue to press the case of our beleaguered retailers to ministers in Cardiff Bay.'"