Update from MMC
Services in Monmouthshire are returning to normal following fresh snowfalls on Tuesday night / Wednesday morning. Some schools remain closed, but refuse collections have re-started. Where possible our staff have continued to provide front line public services. Staff are working from local offices or home and essential front line social care services are being delivered with the aid of 4×4 vehicles.
The Council’s One Stop Shops remain open, as does the Council switchboard and emergency lines. County Hall is open.
We remain concerned that people keep warm and safe, so we have put a link from the front page of the council web site (www.monmouthshire.gov.uk) to Directgov advice on keeping warm and getting financial help with heating bills.
Despite the current conditions, the Council is able to maintain key front line services. We were also able to keep the public informed of service changes through our one stop shops, the media and – of course – our web site (www.monmouthshire.gov.uk), which was being updated from 5am. The web site continues to have a high level of use, with over half a million individual page views in the last week. It remains the first point of call for up to date service information.
The current position in Monmouthshire is as follows:
Gritting
Road salting has taken place around the county and primary routes are passable. Our crews are also working on clearing snow in town centres. We are confident that we have sufficient stocks of road salt, but are still awaiting new deliveries. We would continue to urge caution to people using rural roads.
Schools
Most of our schools are now fully open. As planned, we were able to clear snow from around our comprehensive schools to allow pupils to take external exams. The decision to close a school is taken by the head teacher. The current situation in Monmouthshire is:
- Caldicot School closed to years 7, 8 and 9
- King Henry VIII – is open for external examinations but is closed to all other pupils
- Monmouth Comprehensive – Will be open for external examinations but is closed to all other pupils. It will be open for all pupils Friday 15th January
Schools Open
- Archbishop Rowan Williams
- Caldicot School open to years 10,11, 12 and 13
- Caldicot Green Lane
- Caldicot West End
- Cantref Primary
- Castle Park Primary School
- Chepstow Comprehensive
- Cross Ash Primary
- Deri View Primary
- Durand Primary School
- Gilwern Primary
- Govilon Primary
- Goytre Fawr Primary
- Kymin View – opened at 10 am
- Llanfair Kilgeddin
- Llanfoist Fawr Primary
- Llanover Primary
- Llantillio Pertholey
- Llanvihangel Crucorney Primary
- Magor CIW Primary
- Osbaston CIW- open to all year groups apart from Reception
- Overmonnow – open for staff only
- Pembroke Primary
- Raglan Primary
- Rogiet Primary
- St Mary’s RC Chepstow
- Shirenewton Primary – will be open at 1pm for pupils
- The Dell Primary
- Thornwell Primary – please contact the school to ascertain which year groups should attend.
- Undy Primary
- Ysgol Y Ffin
- Ysgol Y Fenni
If there are any other schools closed the website will be updated as soon as we are notified.
Public Transport
Passenger Transport Unit (PTU) Operations
Our County Hall office is open today with all PTU staff having made all reasonable attempts to make the journey to work. With a high volume of calls being received, we do appreciate your patience and will try to both answer and return all calls. Please also consider contacting us on [email protected]
Home to School Transport
Services operating by the Passenger Transport Unit re-started in part this morning on a main road stop basis where side roads are still difficult to travel on.
Those effected routes so far are:
- Redwick & Bishton to Caldicot Comprehensive School
- Red Service to Caldicot Comprehensive School (Passengers to make their way to Undy Police Station stop)
We will re-evaluate the situation today with a view to operating full services where conditions allow.
The PTU has requested all other operators to risk assess Home to School Transport routes for those schools that reopened today. We envisage that those services which will run will also be limited in places to main road only. Parents/carers of children in areas where roads remain compromised are encouraged to meet services on a main road stop where possible. Please contact respective operators for clarity on their individual routes and level of services which may run.
It is important that parents / carers are satisfied that children are able to travel to school and back home again safely if the transport is being provided independently.
Transport & examinations
The PTU understands that schools and pupils are preparing for examinations this week. All efforts are being made to provide transport for secondary schools for this reason, but would advise parents/carers to consider alternative transport arrangements in the event that contracted vehicles are unable to run.
Public Services
Public service operators have been asked to make risk assessments on routes with a view to maintaining a level of service during today. Circumstances may change throughout the day and so we would ask that the operators are contacted directly to receive the latest updates.
Services affected by the road conditions today are:
Clarkes Coaches
- 3 Brynmawr – Abergavenny – Partial service, 1 Bus operation, main roads only.
- Veolia Transport Cymru
- 43 – Abergavenny Town Service – Not operating
- 62 – Caldicot – Caerwent – Sudbrook – Magor – Not Operating
Terry Wards
- Awaiting confirmation of passable routes
We expect conditions to improve throughout the day and the above services will be able to begin operations.
Grass Routes Services
- Grass Routes services in the Monmouth and Abergavenny areas are not running today.
Caldicot and Chepstow schedules will operate where routes are passable. Passengers scheduled to go from these areas will be notified of any cancellations this morning.
Social Services
Social services are working hard to provide essential services and are in touch with all individuals whose services may be affected by the weather / road conditions.
Community Meals is providing a normal service as possible. The Countryside service is supporting us with 4x4s and we are confident of being able to deliver to the majority of our service users.
Severn View Day Centre and Mardy park Day Centre – closed with staff doing home visits to service users – all service users being contacted.
Homecare – no problems reported this morning. We are still using 4x4s to deliever some services.
Budden Crescent – normal service
Tyr’fenni Day Centre – normal service
Monmouth Day services – normal service
Office services, Green fingers and Swan Craft Studio – normal service
People with any concerns about their service please contact us via the One Stop Shops.
Refuse Collections
Following much of the snow clearing done yesterday, we are able to widen normal collections to all urban areas today – and as many rural areas as we can reach safely. There will still be areas we cannot reach and regret they will have to be collected on their normal collection day next week – weather permitting.
The Civic Amenity sites will be open today but closing early for safety reasons. This will allow those who need / want to, to take refuse or recycling direct to the sites. They are at:
- Llanfoist
- Abergavenny
- Maryport St Car Park ( North) in Usk
- Troy at Monmouth
- Five Lanes near Caerwent
Libraries
Libraries are open as follows:
- Abergavenny Library Open
- Caldicot Library Open
- Chepstow Library Open
- Gilwern Library Closed
- Monmouth Library Open
- Usk Library Open
Usual opening hours apply.
Leisure Centres
- Abergavenny Leisure Centre – open
- Caldicot Leisure Centre – open
- Chepstow Leisure Centre – open
- Monmouth Leisure Centre – open
We are making every effort to run our normal programme. However, please telephone your local leisure centre to ensure that the activity you require is running.
- Usk Community Centre is closed
- Raglan Community Centre is open
Adult Education
The Adult Education Service is operating, subject to weather conditions. Before setting out, all students and users are advised to ring the centre to identify whether individual classes, clubs or activities are running.
The following adult education centre car parks are only in partial use:
- Gilwern Community Education Centre
- Abergavenny Youth and Community Education Centre
- Overmonnow Family Learning Centre
Museums
- Abergavenny Museum – open
- Chepstow Museum – open
- Monmouth Museum – open
Outlook
We are expecting it to get warmer than the sub zero conditions we have recently experienced. But it will remain cold. There will be a steady reduction in the amount of snow on the ground, both through natural melt and the efforts of our clearance teams.
We will continue to plan to deliver front line service provision to the best of our ability.
