Chepstow Festival and the return of the town carnival are set to be the highlights of this summer's events programme in town, but local traders want Monmouthshire council to look at its policy of charging for road closures.

Many events require town centre roads to be closed but organisers have to pay a fee of up to £1,000. Chepstow Chamber of Trade is to write to the county council's finance boss Steve Greenslade asking him to look again at the policy.

Executive member Paul Rutter told the Chamber, "Road closures cost significant sums of money. If you want High Street closed it costs £500. If Middle Street and Nelson Street have to be closed and the direction of traffic has to be reversed then it can cost £1,000."

Among other events planned for this summer are a produce market in July, the carnival - which had to be postponed last year - is back on Saturday, July 12 and the two week Chepstow Festival which runs from June 28. There are also Art on the Railings events throughout the summer and a continental market in the autumn.